I'm Right Here
by CRIMS0N HAZE
Summary: Zack and Cody have always been together, but when Cody is hospitalized with a very serious condition, Zack has to come to terms with the fact that they might not be together forever.
1. The Lavender Opal

**Disclaimer: **I do not own The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.

**Author's Note: **Hello. I know that the show is a comedy, but I am not a funny person, so I did not write a funny story. I hope you guys like this anyway, and please review!

**Summary: **Zack and Cody have always been together. When Cody hospitalized with a very serious condition, Zack has to come to terms that they might not be together forever.

"_The beginning is the most important part of the work" Plato_

Chapter One

The Lavender Opal

"Is my homework finished yet?"

Cody Martin looked up from his science book. He was sitting at the table in the living space of their hotel room. The table was covered with his and Zack's school books, backpacks, folders, and more. Cody was hunched over a sheet of loose leaf paper, hastily scribbling the answers to the science review questions. Zack was sitting on the couch playing a video game.

"I put your math worksheet in your folder," Cody replied.

"What about my English paper?"

Cody closed his science book and shoved it inside his backpack, "I don't have time to write it now," He said, "I have to get ready for the Trig Club meeting at the library."

"You're such a dork," said Zack, rolling his eyes, "who hangs out at the library on a _Saturday_?"

"A lot of people do," Cody said defensively as he cleared off the table.

"Yeah, a lot of math geeks like you."

Carey Martin entered the hotel room.

"Cody, are you ready to go to the library?" she asked.

"Yeah, just let me go get my calculator." He left the room and hurried into his and Zack's bedroom.

"Do you have any plans today, Zack?" asked Carrie.

Zack reached for the remote control and tuned of the TV. "I think I'm going down to the game room," he answered.

Cody walked back into the room, carrying his calculator, "do you ever do _anything_ besides play video games, Zack?"

"Do you ever do anything that isn't educational?" Zack retorted.

Cody frowned, "Maybe I'd be able to if you didn't make me do your homework all the time."

"Maybe if you actually had a life I wouldn't make you do it all the time."

"Zack, Cody, that's enough," said Carey, stepping in, "I'm tired of hearing you two fighting all the time. Can't you guys get along for one day?"

"No," they answered in unison.

Carey sighed, "Come on, Cody. You're going to be late if we don't leave soon."

She and Cody headed toward the door, "Zack, why don't you do your homework while we're gone," she suggested.

"My homework's already finished."

"All except your English paper," Cody muttered under his breath.

"Well why don't you do it yourself," she specified.

Zack flopped back onto the couch, "what's the point of having a brother in the same grade as me if he can't help me out every once in awhile?"

"I want you to start on that homework before I get back," said Carey, "and that's final. I'll see you in about twenty minutes."

They left.

"Or," Zack said to himself once the door closed behind them, "I'll just play some more video games."

After beating Alien Torpedoes 3 for the second time, Zack decided he was bored. He decided to go downstairs to see what everyone else at the Tipton hotel was up to. So he put his video game system away and took the elevator downstairs to the main floor.

Downstairs the lobby was as busy as usual. Guests were checking in and out, and some people were buying stuff from Maddie who worked at the candy counter.

"And what are you up to?" inquired a pompous voice from behind. Zack whirled around and was face to face with Mr. Mosbey, the manager of the Tipton.

"Nothing," Zack replied.

"And where's the other one?" Mr. Mosbey asked.

Zack knew that he was referring to his twin.

"My mom took Cody to the library. He has a Trig Club meeting."

"Well, I hope that you behave yourself while she's gone—leaving you here unchaperoned in my hotel…" his voice trailed off and he shuddered, thinking of all the damage Zack and Cody had caused the Tipton ever since they moved in. It always surprised him that the two boys, who looked all sweet and innocent on the outside, could be such troublesome little monsters on the inside.

Mr. Mosbey went to the front desk. Zack decided to go to the candy counter and see Maddie doing. But as he headed over there, something on the floor caught his eye. He bent over to inspect the mysterious object.

It was a small purple stone. It was very smooth, like a pearl. It was the size and shape of a Robin's egg. Zack thought it could be very valuable.

'_I could sell this thing and become rich,_' he thought to himself.

"What do you think you are doing with my one of a kind lavender opal!" screeched the woman behind him.

Startled, Zack jumped. "Here," he said, holding it out to her, "You must have dropped it. I found it on the floor."

"A likely story!" The woman cried shrilly, "You stole it from me!"

A group of people began to gather around to see what was going on. Mr. Mosbey, who was working at the front desk, noticed the commotion and hurried to the center of the lobby to see what he could do to sort things out.

"Is there a problem here?" he asked.

"Yes there is," the lady said, "this little boy is a thief."

"I am not!" said Zack, "I saw that thing on the floor. I didn't steal it."

"Mrs. Devereux," said Mr. Mosbey, addressing the lady, "He may cause a lot of trouble around here, but I can assure you that Zack is not a thief. I am sure this is all some misunderstanding."

The lady, Mrs. Devereux scoffed, "If he isn't a thief, than why would he be talking about selling my jewelry?"

"I beg your pardon?" asked Mr. Mosbey, confused.

"After he stole my opal I heard him muttering something about selling it to become rich."

A blush crept across Zack's cheeks, "I—Did I say that out loud?" he stammered.

"You see!" she cried fluffing her short brown hair, "he admits it!"

"He admits what?"

Zack turned around and saw his mother standing behind him.

"Zack, Mr. Mosbey, what's going on?"

"I will answer that," said Mrs. Devereux, "not that it's any of your business, but this little boy just admitted to stealing from me!" She turned back to Mr. Mosbey, "I would like to have a word with his parents."

"I'm Zack's mother," said Carey, "Zack, did you steal something from this lady?"

"No!" he exclaimed, "I've been trying to tell them that. I found her thing on the floor. I didn't steal it from her."

"Than why were you talking about selling it!"

"I didn't know that it was yours!"

"Well instead of talking about how rich it was going to make you, why didn't you turn it in to the front desk?"

"Can we all please stay calm?" Mr. Mosbey asked nervously, "Mrs. Devereux, I know Zack very well, and although he does tend to cause trouble, I'm positive he would never try to steal anything."

"That's right," said Carey, "trust me, ma'am, I know my kid."

"Well then," huffed Mrs. Devereux, who clearly realized that she was outnumbered, "I suppose I'll just have to take your word for it. But if any more of my jewelry goes missing...well let's just say that I'll know where to find it.

She starred at Zack formidably, than quickly walked away.

Zack heaved a sigh of relief. He thought he was in big trouble for a minute there!

Mr. Mosbey and Carey rounded in on Zack.

"I hope in the future you will be able to refrain yourself from disturbing the guests!" Mr. Mosbey said angrily, "now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work."

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Carey asked once Mr. Mosbey left.

"Uh…I'm sorry?"

"Zack, you really have to start staying out of trouble. I mean it."

Zack starred at the floor. He knew that his mother was right, but sometimes he just couldn't help himself. He couldn't be good all the time—that was what Cody was for. And besides, following the rules could get very boring after awhile, and Zack liked to have fun.

"I'll try to stay out of trouble," he said sincerely.

"Good," said Carey, "Now I have to go upstairs to take a shower. I'm picking Cody up from the library in a half hour, than I have a show tonight at seven o'clock. So be good."

"I will," Zack promised.

Carey went upstairs and Zack plopped down on the sofa. The crowd of people who had gathered to watch the showdown between Zack and Mrs. Devereux had dispersed and everyone was going about their own business.

Everyone, including the bellhop, Estebon. Zack noticed that the word, 'DEVEREUX' was embroidered across the suitcases that he was carrying.

A mischievous smile spread across Zack's face. He had an idea. He would have to break the promise he just made to his mom, but it would be worth it.


	2. The One Second Headache

_I'm Right Here _by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer**: I do not own The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.

**A/N**: Woohoo Chapter Two. I like to rhyme : ) Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I'll have Chapter Three up in a few days. And to clarify something, doesn't save astericks (aka those little stars) for some reason, so if you see this:** I----------I** that means that some time has passed, or there was a change in the setting. There's another note at the bottom. Enjoy the chapter!

"_I had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it." Groucho Marx _

Chapter Two

One Second Headache

As Esteban giddily brought Mr. and Mrs. Devereux's luggage up to the third floor, Zack followed closely behind him. He was being as quiet and nonchalant as possible so that nobody would see him and get suspicious.

Zack was on a mission. He was still mad that Mrs. Devereux accused him of stealing. It was embarrassing when she yelled at him in front of everybody in the lobby. It was payback time.

Zack had a small jar in his pocket. The jar was filled with red ants that Cody collected for a science project that he was working on.

'_Cody's going to be mad at me when he finds out what I did to his ants_' Zack thought to himself, '... _so I'll have to make sure he never finds out that I'm the one who took them._'

He discreetly followed Esteban into room 237.**(1)** He ducked behind the two biggest suitcases. Esteban didn't notice Zack at all. He was singing to himself as he unloaded the smaller suitcases from the cart. Zack took this moment to unleash his plan. He reached inside his pocket and pulled out the jar of red ants and unscrewed the cap.

"Oh this room is _beautiful_," said a shrill voice from behind.

Zack froze. He'd recognize that voice anywhere... Mrs. Devereux and her husband were standing right behind him.

'_Uh-oh…_'

"Yes, it's very nice," Mr. Devereux agreed, "Look at the view."

They walked over to the window. Zack knew it would be the perfect time for him to get out of the hotel room without anybody noticing him. Just as he was about to creep out of the room he felt a sharp stinging sensation on his hand.

"OUCH!" he yelped.

Mr. and Mrs. Devereux all looked up and screamed.

"What is going on here?" Mr. Devereux asked sharply.

"I-uh-I was helping Esteban with your luggage," Zack lied.

"Oh, thanks for the help, Zack," said Esteban.

"You're welcome...well, I guess I'll be leaving now."

He turned to go. Just when he though he got away with it, Mrs. Devereux screamed again.

"What is _that_!" she shrieked.

Zack looked down and his heart sank. A hundred red ants were crawling around the white carpet.

_'One of them must have bit my hand and that's why it hurt,'_ realized Zack

"BUGS!" he cried, trying to cover up for what he did, "How did these bugs get into the hotel?"

Mr. Devereux's narrowed his eyes, "I think I have an idea. Maybe they came from that jar you're holding."

"That's ridiculous," Zack said with a nervous laugh.

Mr. Devereux crossed the room and yanked the jar out of Zack's hands, "THAN WHY ARE SOME OF THE BUGS STILL IN HERE!"

Zack flinched. No stranger had ever yelled at him like that before. In fact, _nobody_ had ever yelled quite so angrily at him in his life.

"I've had enough of you, young man!" Mrs. Devereux shouted, "We are going to have a long talk with the manager of this hotel. I will _not_ let you ruin my vacation!"

She grabbed him by the cuff of his shirt and led him downstairs.

I---------------I

"Zack, I don't know what's gotten into you lately!" said Carey as she paced in front of them. The two of them were in their suite. Zack was sitting sullenly on the couch and Carey was walking back and forth in front of him.

After the Devereux's told Carey and Mr. Mosbey what Zack did with the ants, everyone was furious with him. There was a lot of yelling. Mr. Mosbey had to call an exterminator, and the money to pay for it was going to come out of Carey's commission check. Carey told Zack that he was grounded for two weeks and that they would be discussing his behavior as soon as they got back upstairs.

That discussion started the second they returned to their suite... and thirty minutes later, it was still going on.

"You haven't been doing you're homework, you're failing science, you're causing way too much trouble with Mr. Mosbey, and you have been mean to your brother—very mean. What is going on with you?"

Zack shrugged sheepishly, "I don't know," he muttered.

Carey sat down next to Zack and draped her arm across his shoulders, "Come on, Zack, talk to me."

Zack starred at the floor. His mom was right... sort of. He hadn't really been himself lately. He never liked school, but recently everything was getting harder—especially science and math. But Zack never really worried about his school work—he had Cody there to help him with that. As for being mean to Cody, Zack knew that he hadn't been very nice to his brother lately. But he knew the reason for this. Cody was more than a brother to Zack—he was his best friend. But in the past few weeks (and most of their lives) they'd been spending _all_ of their time together. Zack was just tired of Cody, and he started losing his temper with him more often. But he didn't know how to tell his mom that.

"I'm sorry," he said simply.

"That's what you always say," said Carey, "Do you ever actually mean it?"

"Yeah," Zack replied, "I'm sorry for causing trouble for the Devereux's, and I'm sorry for doing bad in school, and I'm sorry that you have to pay for the exterminator, and I'm sorry—"

"Zack, stop," Carey interrupted, "You can say 'sorry' all you want, but it won't fix anything unless you really mean it."

Before Zack could say anything to her he felt an excruciating pain in his head. He clutched his forehead and groaned.

Carey starred at him intently, "Honey, what's wrong?"

Just as fast as the mysterious headache arrived, it disappeared.

"I'm fine…" he said softly, "just a headache."

"Do you want some aspirin?"

"No, it's gone...it doesn't hurt anymore."

Carey looked at him with a look of worry and confusion on her face, "That's weird..." her voice trailed off for a second, "...listen to me, Zack. I don't know why you have been acting so strangely, but I don't like it."

"I'm s—"

"Don't say you're sorry. I want you to go to your room and think about everything I just said."

Zack stood up and walked to his room.

"Oh, no!" cried Carey.

Zack whirled around, "what's wrong?"

"Cody! I was supposed to pick him up from the library at three thirty! It's already passed four!"

She ran into the walk-in closet and grabbed her jacket, "have you seen my keys?"  
The phone began to ring so Zack picked it up.

"Hello?"

Hello, may I speak to Mrs. Martin?" the caller asked. The voice was that of a woman. She sounded shaken and upset.

"Yeah, hold on a second," he put his hand over the receiver, "Mom, it's for you."

Carey had just found her keys and was heading out the door, "Take a message. I'm over a half hour late for Cody."

"She can't talk right now, can I take a message?"

"Tell her it's an emergency," the caller said urgently.

"Hold on."

Zack set the phone down on the table and hurried out to the hall. His Mom was waiting in front of the elevator.

"Mom," he called, "they said it was an emergency."

Carey sighed, "Okay, I'll get it." She followed Zack back to the suite.

"Hello, this is Carey," she said after picking up the phone.

Zack watched her. He wondered what the emergency was.

"Yes, I am," said Carey. All of the sudden she looked as if she had been slapped across the face. The color drained from her cheeks and her mouth dropped open. "What happened?... Okay... okay... I'll be right there."

She hung the phone up on the receiver and looked at Zack. She looked dazed—she was shaking and her face was white.

"What happened?" Zack asked. He was nervous because he had never seen his mother like this before.

"It's Cody," she whispered.

Zack felt his stomach drop, "Mom..."

"There was an accident."

"Is he okay? What happened?"

"We have to get to the hospital. He was hit by a car."

To Be Continued...

**(1)** If you, like me, are a fan of Stephen King, than you will understand : P

**A/N** Many thanks to everybody who reviewed!

**Lauren **Thank you! I hope this was soon enough : )

**I-Luv-Ashley-Tisdale** The plan was unveiled: ) Thanks for the review!

**Britt199** Thanks for the compliments! I'm glad you like this!

**Yami No Seto** Thank you very much!

**Loren **Thanks!

**Optimistic Girl94** I've already finished writing this, so I guess the correct thing to say would be 'please type more' : ). Thanks for reviewing!

There you go people. If you want a shout-out at the end of the chapter, all you need to do is leave me a review like these cool people did :P Peace out.


	3. At The Hospital

_I'm Right Here_ by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer**: I do not own The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.

**A/N**: First of all, I want to thank everybody who reviewed. That really meant a lot to me. Individual responses are at the bottom of the chapter! Alright, I have a question for everybody: Have they ever mentioned the father's name on the show? Or is it mentioned on a website somewhere? Because I have been calling him "Austin" in my story, but I'm not sure if he has a real name that I am unaware of. If you do know his name, please let me know :) Now on to the chapter...

"_Hope, the patent medicine for disease, disaster, sin." –Wallace Rice_

**Chapter Three**

At the Hospital

Zack stared out the window of the car the whole way to the hospital. Thousands of thoughts raced through his mind. He thought about how he was just complaining (to himself) about how Cody was always around. He thought about the last things he said to him—telling him that he didn't have a life and saying that the only point of having a twin brother was so he could do his homework for him. But the one thought that was torturing Zack more than anything was that he knew that this was all his fault. If Zack hadn't caused all the trouble with the Devereux's, his mom would have picked up Cody when she was supposed to and he never would have gotten hit by the car.

As soon as they got to the hospital they went to the emergency room on the first floor. Carey ran to the front desk.

"I'm Carey Martin," she told the receptionist, "They brought my son, Cody in a little while ago. He—"

"Carey! Oh, thank goodness you're here!"

Carey and Zack looked up and saw Mrs. King rushing towards them. Mrs. King was the teacher who supervised the Trig Club. Her eyes were red rimmed like she had been crying. She pulled Carey and Zack into a hug.

"Tell me exactly what happened," said Carey.

"After the meeting the kids were getting picked up. Eventually Cody was the only one left so I offered to drive him home but he said he wanted to walk home. The next thing I knew he was walking out of the library and he was gone. I went outside to get in my car and all of the sudden I saw a huge group of people crowded around the street. It was because of Cody..."

A police officer and a doctor approached Carey. They wore somber expressions.

"Ma'am," said the officer, "Are you Cody Martin's mother?"

"Yes," she replied, "Is he okay? Can we see him?"

"He's in surgery right now," the doctor said, "it'll be a few more hours. And we won't know the extent of his injuries until he wakes up."

Zack bit his lip. Things didn't sound good. Not at all.

"Why don't we go somewhere where we can talk in private?" The police officer suggested gently.

Mrs. King squeezed Carey's shoulder, "Call me," she said softly, "let me know if there is anything I can do."

Carey and Zack followed them into a small, secluded room. Zack felt really dizzy, so he was glad when they all sat down.

"Okay," the doctor said once they were all sitting down, I'm Dr. Harrison, and this is Officer Ryan."

"I want to know exactly what happened to my son and what you are doing about it." Carey said.

"It was a hit and run," Officer Ryan told her, "a dark blue Tiburon according to the witnesses."

"Is he okay?" Zack asked, speaking for the first time since they left the hotel, "Can he come home after the surgery?"

Dr. Harrison sighed, "When the car hit him he fractured his skull. We started prepping him for surgery in the ambulance on the way here... right now he's in a coma."

Zack felt all of the air leave his lungs. Those words echoed in his head. '_He's in coma- he's in a coma- he's in a coma..'._ He blinked back tears, _'My brother is in a coma. Cody is in a coma. Cody…'_

"Zack? Zack!" Zack opened his eyes. Dr. Harrison, Officer Ryan, and his mom were all hovering above him. The lights on the ceiling were shining brightly in his eyes—and that's when he realized that he was lying flat on his back on the floor.

"Honey, are you okay?" Carey asked nervously.

"Yeah," he replied. He sat up—a little too quickly. The room began to spin.

"Zack?" said Dr. Harrison gently, "why don't you sit down on the couch."

Carey helped him up. Dr. Harrison stood and went to the table on the other side of the room. There was a coffee maker, creams, cups, and an ice box on the table. He gave Zack an ice cube and told him to hold it to his cheek. Zack still felt light headed. He took a few deep breaths and tried to shake the dizziness away. Carey stroked his back and kissed him on the side of his forehead, trying to comfort him.

Zack was sort of embarrassed. He never passed out before in his life, and now his mom was making a big deal about it. He returned his thoughts to Cody.

"When will Cody wake up from the coma?" Zack asked.

"It is impossible to tell," Dr. Harrison answered, "it will be another couple of hours before he's out of surgery. Once he's out we will be able to tell you more about his condition. But he won't wake up until he's ready to. It could be days, weeks, or even longer."

'_Or never_,' Zack thought, '_he might_ never _wake up_.'

"So what happens now?" Carey asked.

Dr. Harrison stood up, "I have a team of doctors working on your son. I will let you know if anything happens. I have to go now, but if you have any questions you can ask when I come back to check in on you."

Officer Ryan stood up also, "I'll be in touch with you soon," he told them, "I already sent the police report to the station. I'll let you know as soon as we get any leads as to who was driving the car."

"Thank you," Carey said weakly.

"Is there anything I can do for you before I go?" asked Dr. Harrison, "any questions I can answer?"

"I have a question," Zack said, "Is Cody—he's gonna live, right?"

"We're going to try out hardest to make that happen."

Dr. Harrison's answer did not satisfy Zack.

"If you guys want to be by yourselves, take all the time you need. You are free to stay in the waiting room until Cody's out of surgery."

The doctor and the officer left Carey and Zack alone. They sat in silence for a minute—not even looking at each other. Finally, Carey broke the ice.

"Zack," she said softly, "do you want to talk about this?"

Zack was sitting with his elbows on his knees and his face resting in his hands, "I can't believe this is happening."

Carey wrapped her arms around Zack and squeezed him tightly. He didn't resist at all. He fell into her embrace and hugged her too. She started to cry softly. Zack closed his eyes to keep his own tears inside.

"Come on," Carey said, wiping her eyes, "let's go to the waiting room..." she paused, "Or maybe we should stay in here for awhile so you can lay down. You're probably feeling a little dizzy still, aren't you?"

"No, I feel better now. We can go sit in the waiting room."

"Of course you don't feel better," Carey said gently, "You just fainted a couple minutes ago, Zack. And you had that headache earlier today, and on top of all this, you just heard some very shocking news. I want you to take it easy."

"I'm fine," Zack insisted, "you're the one who should take it easy. And you should be worrying about Cody—not about me."

Carey's expression softened, "maybe we should both take it easy."

Together they went back to the waiting room. Mrs. King was still there, and so were some other kids from the library with their parents. While Carey filled them in on what was going on with Cody, Zack sat down and thought about what Dr. Harrison said.

_'We're going to try our hardest to make that happen.'_

He crossed his fingers that their 'hardest' would be good enough to save Cody.

To be continues…

Thank you to everyone who reviewed:

**Britt119**: Thanks for both of your reviews!

**Optimistic Girl94**: Typing more:p

**Hearts Corruption**: It made sense to me, lol. Thank you very much.

**Spork Princess**: I decided to hurt Cody (I feel like such a sadist saying that lol) because I wanted to explore Zack's emotional side. I'm glad you like this.

**Kaoticjellybean**: Thank you very much for the review!

**Olivetree1**: Wow, thanks for the compliment! I agree, the tsl characters are rather one-dimensional. I'm glad that you think that they are in character. Thank you for reviewing!

**Solitaire's Mornie**: Thank you for the review. As for the Stephan King reference, 237 (the Devereux's hotel room number) is a number that he uses frequently.

Thanks, guys! Keep reviewing!


	4. Xray Chronicles

_I'm Right Here_ by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer**: I do not own The Suite Life of Zack and Cody

I actually did some research to write this chapter. It will cover a lot of technical stuff, so I want to apologize in advance to anyone who finds it to be boring. I got most of my information from the following websites: www. headinjury .com, www. mamashealth .com, and www. waiting .com also know some of the more emotional stuff first hand because last year my friend's older brother was in a coma, so I guess I should mention the Allen family and the Doctors at the trauma unit of Good Samaritan. Thanks for the help to the above mentioned info providers.

**Author's Note**: Read the disclaimer. This chapter is longer than the others—but not the longest one in the story. Bar with me, people! Review responses are at the end of the chapter. Enjoy!

"_Of the thirty-six ways of avoiding disaster, running away is best." –Anonymous_

**Chapter Four**

X-ray Chronicles 

It was a very long day. Carey and Zack had been in the waiting room for two hours with Mrs. King and two of Cody's friends from the meeting and their parents. Zack wanted them to leave. He wanted to be alone, but Mrs. King kept asking him if he needed anything and Cody's friends, John and Tapeworm were staring at him nervously. But after what seemed like a century after Carey and Zack got to the hospital, Dr. Harrison came into the waiting room carrying a portfolio.

He sat down in a chair across from Carey and Zack, "Are you two doing okay?"

"How's Cody?" they asked in unison.

"He's still in surgery. Can you come with me for a moment?"

They followed him out of the waiting room and down the hall into a small, dark room. Zack noticed that the white letters on his orange hoodie were glowing in the darkness.

"We took some x-rays of Cody's skull," Dr. Harrison told them, "Dr. Burke, the bone specialist, will be here in a minute to explain the scans."

The door swung open just as he said this, and a young woman walked in.

"Hello," she said warmly, "I'm Dr. Burke. I took Cody's x-rays."

She shook hands with Carey and Zack. Zack thought that Dr. Burke was very pretty. She had short brown hair and a nice smile. But he didn't care. All he cared about at the moment was Cody.

She put the scan from Dr. Harrison's portfolio on the wall. The scan showed Cody's head. The crack in his skull was very evident.

"We took these right before we started the surgery," said Dr. Burke. She picked up another scan and put it next to Cody's, "this is what a normal brain scan looks like," she started pointing out the differences, using a long wooden stick. She showed them where Cody's fracture was and told them about the swelling.

Cody's skull is fractured right here," she said pointing it out, "his brain is swelled and he bruised his left temporal lobe. The temporal lobes are responsible for memory—particularly short-term memory. This means that there is a possibility that Cody will experience amnesia. The crack in his skull also grazed the brainstem. The brainstem connects to the spinal cord, so there is a chance of paralysis," Dr. Burke paused for a second than returned to the picture, "As we speak the surgeons are trying to get the swelling to go down, but there is not a whole lot they can do. The brain is very complex."

Dr. Harrison turned the lights on, "I know this is a lot to take in. But we are doing the best we can to save your son."

"How much longer is this surgery going to take?" Carey asked.

It will be another four hours at least," said Dr. Harrison, "The last time I checked in—which was just a few minutes ago—they were taking care of the fracture and trying to get the swelling to go down. They already stopped the hemorrhaging—"

"Hemorrhaging?" Carey repeated, "You didn't tell us about that."

Dr. Burke stepped in, "there was some bleeding caused by the fracture," she explained, "but they managed to stop that."

"Okay listen," Carey said defiantly, "This is my son who we are talking about and I don't feel that you have been giving me all the information you have. I want to know what's going on."

"Let's sit down," said Dr. Harrison, "I can tell you everything we know about Cody's condition and I'll try to answer any questions."

They sat down in the chairs across the room. Zack and Carey faced the two doctors. Zack was feeling uneasy—he'd just spent the last two hours in the waiting room convincing himself that Cody would be fine, but everything that Dr. Burke and Dr. Harrison were saying was screaming the opposite. Amnesia, Paralysis..._hemorrhaging._

_'What does that even mean, anyway?'_

"What do you want to talk about first?" Dr. Harrison asked as they got settled in.

"Explain this whole 'coma thing' to me. I know what it _is_, but I don't totally understand it," said Carey.

"Comas are very difficult to understand," said Dr. Harrison, "they are different for different people. Some people are very responsive, while others don't respond to anything at all. The more responsive the coma patient is, the better the chances of waking up and having a full recovery."

"And Cody?"  
Zack noticed a look of pity crossed Dr. Harrison's face, "Cody has a GCS of five. Anything lower than a GCS of eight indicates a severe brain injury. What Cody's GCS tells us is that he won't open his eyes, but he responds slightly to pain and he mumbles and moans from time to time. Obviously, with the anesthesia, he hasn't done anything since the surgery started. If the surgery goes well, there is a chance that his GCS will get higher.

"And that's good?" asked Carey.

"Yes," he replied.

"You were taking about trying to get the swelling to go down. What happens if you can't do that?"

"If Cody's brain keeps swelling it won't fit inside the skull anymore," Dr. Burke explained, "in the worst case scenario we'll have to take a portion of his skull out of his head and keep it frozen until the swelling goes down again."

That was more than Zack could take, "Take a part of his skull out and _freeze_ it!" he exclaimed, "what the hell?"

"Zack, calm down," said Carey.

"I can't calm down!" he exploded, "My brother might die and all you guys want to do is sit and talk! Why aren't you in there helping him!"

"Zack! Sit down," shouted Carey, "give them a chance to explain everything."

"Zack, the group of doctors who are operating on Cody right now are doing everything they can to save his life," Dr. Burke said gently, "we're not taking this situation lightly."

Zack sat down and mumbled an apology.

"What were you saying about his brainstem—that he might be paralyzed?" Carey asked. Just the thought of Cody being confined to a wheelchair brought tears to her eyes.

"Partial paralysis is a definite possibility because a fragment of Cody's skull penetrated the brainstem," said Dr. Burke, "but Cody's hands and feet were moving a little while we were stabilizing his vital signs in the ambulance. At the most he might have difficulty with his motor functions."

"Is he going to lose his memory?" Zack asked, remembering that Dr. Burke said something about amnesia.

"We won't know until he wakes up," said Dr. Burke, "the fracture in his skull is right against his brainstem and left temporal lobe. All of the bleeding was in the temporal lobe, so it is pretty much definite that his short-term memory will suffer. It could be a permanent problem that he'll have to deal with for the rest of his life. He'll also most likely have problems with his verbal skills. He may have to relearn how to talk and form sentences. And on top of all of this he may suffer amnesia. He might not remember anything or anyone when he wakes up. Amnesia is often a side effect of a coma and it could be permanent or temporary."

Carey buried her face in her hands and began to cry. She could not believe what she was hearing. She thought about Cody. He didn't deserve all this. He had always been so kind and thoughtful. And so smart—now he might not even know how to speak.

Zack looked at his mother and panicked. He didn't know what to do. He never knew what to do when his mother cried, and he had only seen her cry—really cry—a few times. It was always Cody who found a way to comfort her...but Cody wasn't here right now.

"Mrs. Martin, I know that this is all very hard to hear," said Dr. Burke gently, "if you want we can arrange a meeting with one of our family counselors. They are great to talk to."

Carey shook her head, "I'll be fine," she said through her tears, "I just need some time."

"Of course," said Dr. Burke, "you have a lot on your plate right now. Is there someone you can call? Maybe a friend or a family member?"

"Yeah," Carey said, "I'll be calling my parents and my... my ex-husband."

Zack's head jerked up. His mom was going to call his father. Zack hadn't seen or talked to his dad for over two years. The last time he saw him was on his and Cody's tenth birthday.

"Anyway," said Dr. Harrison, "It wasn't only Cody's head that was injured. One of his lungs collapsed so he's on a respirator right now. He lacerated his cheek and forehead really badly, so they stitched those up. But other than a few cuts and bruises, that's all.

--------------------

When they were finished talking to the doctors, Carey and Zack returned to the waiting room. Everybody was waiting for them anxiously. Zack sighed. He was thankful that there were other people there who cared about Cody, but he really wanted to be alone with his mom.

Carey tearfully filled them in on what the doctors told them about Cody and his condition. The adults were sympathetic and continued to offer any help that they could provide. The minutes ticked by very slowly when all of the sudden...

"OH NO!" Carey cried, leaping from her seat, "I have to sing in a half hour! I'm going to be late and I haven't even rehearsed!"

Zack stood up, alarmed. He knew that his mother was in no condition to sing—let alone drive all the way back to the hotel.

Mrs. King took Carey gently by the shoulders, "Sit down, Carey. I'll call the hotel for you and tell them that you need to cancel tonight."

"I can't cancel!" Carey said, her voice sounded very panicky, "I can't afford to cancel! I have to pay for the exterminator and for Cody's operation, and for...for what happens after the operation…" her voice trailed off and she began to cry again. Mrs. King wrapped her arms around Carey and let her sob on her shoulder.

Zack starred at her. She said 'for what happens _after_ the operation'...

_'What does she mean by saying she has to pay for something after the operation?'_ Zack felt his heart sink. He knew exactly what his mother was thinking about: funeral expenses.

Zack's eyes stung with forbidden tears.

_'I'm _not_ going to cry!'_ he thought, '_there is nothing to cry about because Cody is going to be fine. He has to be.'_

Carey and Mrs. King eventually pulled apart.

"I'm sorry," Carey said, as she dried her eyes, "I didn't..."

"It's alright," Mrs. King assured her, "it's okay to cry—you don't want to keep your emotions locked in. Crying's good for the soul."

Carey smiled gratefully than turned to Zack, "I'm sorry you had to see that, honey," she said as she walked over to him. She wrapped her arms around him, "I know this is hard for you too."

Zack was still staring at her in disbelief. He could not forgive her for that comment she made. Her words were ringing incessantly in his ears, _'what happens after the operation... what happens after the operation... what happens after the operation…'_

Zack began to shake with anger. He hated his mom for thinking so negatively. He quickly shook out of her grasp.

"You're wrong!" he shouted. Than he bolted for the door.

…to be continued…

I hope you guys liked this chapter. Please review! I love my reviewers. They are my favorite people.

**Hearts Corruption**: Thank you for the encouragement!

**Loren**: Thanks for the review and thanks for telling me the father's name. _Kurt_… I like Austin better… oh well. Keep reading and reviewing!

**Solitaire's Mornie**: My e-mail didn't work for you? Did you make the o in Crims0n an o or a zero? Cause it's supposed to be a zero—maybe that's why it didn't work for you. If not… I don't know. I'd love to join you're forum, but I couldn't get to it. We are having some technical problems, lol. Thanks for the review!

**Optimistic girl94**- Thank you for the review. I'm glad you like this : )

**Olivetree1**- Please tell me if you think this becomes too rushed—I'm actually worried about the opposite. I was rereading some of the later chapters and I'm sort of nervous that people are going to get bored with it. Just let me know if this starts to get bad, lol. (that is if you continue to read this, of course) And don't worry about hurting my feelings:)

**I-Luv-Ashley-Tisdale**- :_laughs evilly_: I love to make people cry. Just kidding, I'm glad that you are so in to this story though. And yes, poor Zack—you'll see what I have in store for Cody. As for the mom Carey/Carrie thing, I checked and they listed her as Carey. Thanks for taking the time to review twice, lol.

**Ker**- Once again, I love to make people cry. And once again, I am just kidding. Thanks for the review!

**Snowfrog5152**- Thank you very much!

**Thanks again for all of the positive feedback. Keep reviewing—the reviews keep me motivated to type more:) **


	5. The Wait Continues

_I'm Right Here_ by Rose Haze

Disclaimer: I do not own The Suite Life of Zack and Cody

Author's Note: I'm so happy that nobody (at least nobody who reviewed) thought that the last chapter was boring! The individual responses to my wonderful, wonderful reviewers are at the end of the chapter!

This chapter is dedicated to **littlerascalash** as a thank you for the extremely encouraging

and thoughtful e-mails she sent me. Thank you so much!

_There is no such thing as "fun for the whole family" –Jerry Seinfeld _

**Chapter Four**

The Wait Continues

Outside the sun was setting. The sky was the color of a dark robin's egg. The clouds were lined with pink and purple hues. It was windy and a little cold. The trees swayed in the breeze.

In the hospital parking lot, the shadows of the cars leaned against the gritty pavement. In an empty parking space near the entrance of the emergency room, Zack Martin was pacing back and forth.

He felt relieved to be away from everyone in the waiting room. Now that he was alone there was nobody staring at him like they were waiting for him to break down and cry. There was nobody bothering him, asking if he was okay every two seconds. And best of all, his mother wasn't there crying her eyes out. Zack shoved his fists into his pockets and continued to pace. He was furious with his mother. She was the parent and Zack was the child—not the other way around. She was the one who was supposed to think positively and assure Zack that everything was going to be okay.

"Zack?" called Carey. She was standing a few feet behind him with a look of concern on her face.

"What do you want?" he asked angrily.

"I want to talk to you," she said, "you are worried about Cody and so am I."

"You think he's going to die!" Zack exploded, "He's laying there in a coma and all you can think about is how much his funeral will cost!"

"Zack!" Carey cried, "How can you say that? You know I care about Cody and that I'm scared for him just like you are."

Zack didn't say anything. He just starred at the ground. Carey took a few tentative steps towards him, "I know what I said, Zack, and maybe I shouldn't have said it in front of you. But…but…Zack, you need to be prepared for what could happen if—if Cody doesn't pull through."

"Don't say that," Zack said sharply.

"Zack…"

"Cody's going to be fine!" he shouted, "He's going to wake up and nothing will be wrong with him and then we can go home and everything will be back to normal and then we can pretend that this never happened."

Carey sighed, "Let's go back inside. It's getting dark."

"I'm staying out here for awhile."

"No you're not."

"I don't want to sit with all those people."

"Zack, '_all those people'_ have been helping us through all this."

"No they haven't! They've been staring at me and asking me questions—"

"—and being there for us when we need them. You should be thankful that we have friends like that! Now let's go inside."

Zack followed her without arguing. He decided that he would ignore Mrs. King and the others if they bothered him again. But if his mom started crying again, he was out of there.

When they got inside, Zack returned to his chair in the waiting room. Carey, on the other hand, went to use the phone. When Carey followed Zack outside earlier, Mrs. King called the Tipton Hotel and told Mr. Moseby what happened to Cody, and that Carey wouldn't be able to make her show that night. But there was another phone call that had to be made, and Carey was going to be making it herself.

She walked slowly to the public phone in the waiting room, than numbly dialed the number that she knew by heart.

After a few rings, the person on the other side of the receiver answered, "Hello?"

The voice was a woman's.

"Um, hi," Carey said, caught off guard, "can I speak to Kurt, please?"

"Yeah, hold on," the lady replied. Seconds later she heard the voice that she expected to hear when she first called.

"Hello?"

"Kurt? It's me...Carey."

Kurt took a long, deep breath, "is everything okay?"

"No, it's not," Carey replied, "It's Cody. He's in the hospital."

"What happened?"

"He was hit by a car. He fractured his skull and now he's in surgery. He's in a coma and... it doesn't look good."

There was silence on the other end.

"Kurt?" asked Carey, "are you alright?"

"Yeah," he replied, "yeah, what hospital are you at?"

"St. Lucia's"

"Where is that?"  
"Vonderahe Avenue. It's off the second exit on Kennedy Highway."

"I'll be there as soon as possible," Kurt said. He hung up.

Carey starred at the receiver with a mix of shock and disbelief. Aside from a few visits and phone calls, and a check every six months, Kurt was not a part of Carey and the twins' lives. She knew Kurt would be worried and upset once he heard about Cody, but she didn't think that he would come all the way to Boston. She shrugged and hung up the phone, than returned to her seat next to Zack in the waiting room.

"You're father is coming," she told him. There was not a hint of emotion in her voice.

---------------

As the day progressed into night, everyone was talking less and less. By the time eight thirty rolled around, the group was completely silent. Zack was glad that the others were leaving him alone, but he realized that he missed the noise. The only sounds he heard now were the nonexistent ones of the voices in his head. Once again his mother's words repeated in an endless cycle of echoes. Only this time he wasn't hearing '_what happens after the operation._' He was hearing: '_You need to be prepared for what happens if Cody doesn't pull through._' Zack shook his head, trying to erase that sentence from his memory.

-------------

Kurt Martin stood in the entrance of the waiting room. The ER receptionist had just pointed out to him where his son and ex-wife were sitting. Not that he needed her to. They looked exactly the way he remembered them. The only significant difference was that there was only one blonde boy sitting there instead of two.

He stepped through the doorway and headed toward them. His girlfriend, Samantha, was at his side. It was Samantha who drove them to Boston. He was shaking too much to be able to handle the steering wheel for the two hour drive.

"Carey?" he asked timidly once he and Samantha were in front of them.

Everybody looked up. Kurt noticed that Zack tensed when he saw him.

"Hello Kurt," she said icily, "Zack, say hello to your father."

Zack grunted an incoherent greeting.

"How are you, Zack?" Kurt asked.

"Fantastic," Zack answered, "how about you?"

Kurt was taken aback by his son's sarcasm, but he chose to ignore it. He turned back to Carey, "How is he?" he asked.

"I think he just told you."

"I'm talking about Cody, Carey," he said impatiently.

"Oh, Cody's fantastic too," Zack said, "Except that he's in a coma, and the doctors might take a part of his skull out of his head. Oh, and he might be paralyzed and he probably won't know who we are. He won't even know how to talk. But other than that, he's great."

Kurt and Samantha starred at him in shock.

"And that's the optimistic version," said Zack, "it's a good thing I answered you. If it were Mom she'd just tell you that Cody's going to die."

"Stop that, Zack," Carey said calmly.

"Okay then," Samantha said, speaking up for the first time, "not to make this any more awkward than it already is, but I'm Samantha, Kurt's girlfriend."

Zack cast a sideways glance at his mother. She smiled submissively, "Well, Samantha, you really picked a winner."

"God-damnit, Carey, can you please _not_ make this about us for once? Cody is in a coma—"

"Don't tell me about Cody!" Carey snapped, standing up, "You don't know anything about him _or _Zack!"

Zack looked up when he heard his name. He had been starring at the floor—which was also what Mrs. King and the rest of them had been doing. He was used to his parents fighting, but it had been a long time since the last time that they caused such a big scene in a public place.

"You say that like you didn't have anything to do with that!" Kurt fired back.

"Oh, please, you could have visited anytime you wanted."

"And I'm sure that _you_ would have made sure that we had a _wonderful_ time together!"

Dr. Harrison entered the now noisy waiting room and cleared his throat loudly.

Carey and Kurt stopped fighting instantly and looked at him.

Zack stood up and wrung his hands. This could be it. Dr. Harrison could be seconds away from giving them the news that could change their lives forever...

"The surgery was a success."

Kurt let out a huge sigh of relief. Carey clasped her hands over her mouth and her eyes filled with tears. A smile spread across Zack's face and he sank back into his chair.

Dr. Harrison continued, "the fracture is sealed and they managed to get the swelling down somewhat. Right now Cody is completely unresponsive, but the anesthesia hasn't quite worn off yet, so that has something to do with that. He's in critical condition, so I can only take members of his immediate family to see him."

Zack stood up again. He was ready to see his brother.

...to be continued…

Thank you:

**My Heart Beats Only For You**: Sorry I didn't thank you in my last chapter—I posted it before I saw your review! Anyway, yes, researching is not a fun thing to do, lol.

**Littlerascalash**: First of all, thank you sooo much for the e-mail! That seriously made my day, and I appreciated everything you said in both the e-mails and the review. Thanks!

**Kaoticjellybean**: Thank you so much for reviewing! Yes, cute!boy!torture is oddly adorable. I am quite a fan of it myself, lol!

**Britt199**: Of course that's okay with me! I've been reading your story and I love it:) I noticed some similarities, but I never thought that you were stealing my idea. It was really nice of you to ask though, so thanks for that. And thanks for the kind words in your review!

**Snowfrog5152**: I like torturing Zack :evil grin: I'm glad you're liking my story!

**Cleopatrafan**: Drama and tragedy are kind of my thing:) Thank you so much for the review

**I-luv-Ashley-Tisdale**: Thank you so much for the very loooong review, lol. I loved reading it! And yes, Carey calling Kurt will be important to my story (as you can kind of see in this chapter). I'm glad that you think that the doctors sounded authentic. And I love your stories! Especially **The Perfect Storm**! I'm _so_ glad that you told me about it. Thanks again for the great review!

**COLE DYLAN LOVER**: Thanks, I'm glad you like this!

**BekllOBella**: Thank you for reviewing each chapter. You're right about the headache, nice job catching that. That was really nice of you to take the time to write out four separate reviews. Thanks!

**Benlego13**: Thanks for the review. It's good to know that what I've been writing makes sense to someone who has experienced a coma first hand. And I'm happy that everything worked out for you.

**ARandomKid**: Keep reading! And thanks for the review!

**Optimisticgirl94**: I love making Zack emotional, so I'm glad you liked that. There will be much more of that in the rest of the chapters!

Keep reading and reviewing. And everyone have a great weekend!


	6. The Return of the Headache

_I'm Right Here_ by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer**: I do not own The Suite Life of Zack and Cody

**Author's Note**: This chapter is short—it's the shortest one in the whole story. And to be honest with you, I don't really like it all that much…but hopefully you _will _like it, lol. The review responses are at the bottom.

"_I am very brave generally, he went on in a low voice: only today I happen to have a headache"_ – Lewis Carroll

**Chapter Six**

The Return of the Headache

The walk to Cody's room was a long one. They took the elevator up eight floors than walked down a long, narrow hallway. The hallway was lined with closed doors. The group stopped in front of one of them and Dr. Harrison began to speak.

"Even though Cody is in a coma, he can still hear you. Like I told you earlier, he's responding slightly to pain and sound, so only say positive things to him. When Cody does experience pain, he may moan and mumble, but that does not necessarily mean that he's waking up." he paused, "This will be hard for you to see. The incision was made behind his left ear, and we had to shave some of his hair. He's covered in bandages and tubes. He's hooked up to an IV, a respirator, and a heart monitor. And on top of that, he is covered with bruises and lacerations. In other words, not a pretty sight...do you think you are ready to see him?"

Kurt, Carey, and Zack each nodded their heads and somberly followed Dr. Harrison into Cody's room.

The first thing that Zack noticed when he entered the room was all of the equipment. Everything looked scary, but he knew that the machines were what were keeping his brother alive. He shakily approached the bed.

Nothing—not the hours of thinking in the waiting room, not the x-rays, and not even Dr. Harrison's warning could have prepared Zack for what he saw when he looked at Cody, or the feelings he felt.

A mask was covering Cody's mouth and nose and there was a long, thick tube protruding from it. A thick white bandage was wrapped around his head. There was blood on his hair, sticking the strands together and painting them red. The skin around his eyes was dark purple, and a thin line of stitches rand down from his left temple to his cheekbone.

All of the sudden, Zack's headache returned with a vengeance. He hurried out of the room, trying not do draw attention to himself. Once he was in the hallway he hurried over to a bench a few feet away. He pressed his hands against his forehead. It hurt so bad**.(1)** He felt like he had been run over by a train..._or a car_…

Zack thought back to earlier that day—when the headache struck for the first time. It happened minutes before Mrs. King called and told them about Cody.

Zack smiled in spite of his physical and emotional pain. Could it be that he felt Cody's pain (or at least a portion of it) the moment he was hit? The timing would have been right...

He sat there for a few moments, and the pain in his head began to ebb away. Uneasiness in the pit of his stomach replaced it.

_'It was horrible seeing Cody like that,_' he thought sadly, '_but I have to go back. I have to be there for him. But how can I be with him if every time I am near him I get that terrible headache?'_

...to be continued...

**(1)**It should be "It hurt so badly" but I defied grammar and wrote "bad" because I thought it sounded better...and more twelve-year-old-boy-ish.

Responses:

**Ladybug1**- Thanks again for the e-mail. I really appreciate all of the advice and input you have been giving me for my story.

**MaohPrincess** – Thanks! I got the idea for the story after watching the episode where Cody went to math camp. I liked the whole missing each other between him and Zack. Than my fanfic-writer brain kicked in and said "what if they missed each other for a more serious reason?" And that's where the coma idea came in.

**Crimson Mystery**- Nice username! Woohoo for the crimson people. Thanks for reviewing my story!

**Solitaire's Mornie**- If you send me a link, I would love to post on your forum:) I've been posting on imdb and zonesprouse, but I don't think the imdb people appreciate my blunt and slightly sarcastic personality. And I don't appreciate the (lack of) personalities of the teeny-boppers ate zonesprouse, lol… so I need a forum where I can be accepted, lol! Thanks so much for your reviews!

**Kaoticjellybean**- Thanks for the review!

**Snowfrog5152**- Thank you! I love answering everyone's reviews:) Glad you liked the chapter!

**Swimmergirl000121**- Thank you! I'm glad you love it, lol.

**Optimisticgirl94**- yes, drama is fun, lol. Thanks for everything you said in the review!

**Mikkelson&Tolosa4ever**- Yeah, the story's sad. And it's going to get sadder :evil grin: Thanks for the review.

**I-Luv-Ashley-Tisdale**- Don't feel relieved so soon, lol. The Carey/Kurt/Samantha thing will be a big part of the story, so I'm glad you like it. Thanks so much for the review—and all of the other reviews for that matter.

**Kal's Gal**- Thanks for reviewing:)

**Black Wolf Demons**- Thanks for the awesome (your word, lol) review!


	7. I'm Right Here

_I'm Right Here_ by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer**- I do not own The Suite Life of Zack and Cody

**Author's Note**- This is the chapter that the story was named after (unless you are extremely unobservant, you probably were able to figure that out for yourself, lol). This chapter starts a few minutes before the last chapter left off. It begins just before Zack's headache returned. Soooo...yeah, read the chapter than review, lol. Responses are at the bottom:)

"_People who throw kisses are hopelessly lazy"_ –Bob Hope

**Chapter Six**

I'm Right Here

Carey stared at her son. She couldn't move. She couldn't speak. Seeing Cody covered with bruises, and in such a helpless state broke her heart. She watched his chest rise and fall to the beat of the respirator. His bruised, cut up face was very pale. Carey willed herself not to cry, remembering that Dr. Harrison had told them all to stay outwardly positive in Cody's presence.

Zack was standing next to her. She watched him as he stared at his twin brother in disbelief. A grimace crossed his face and he quickly left the room. Carey watched him go and assumed that he just wanted to be alone—that the sight of Cody lying comatose was just too much for him to handle.

Kurt stood on the other side of Cody's bed. He looked vulnerable and scared. He touched Cody's cheek and gently ran his index finger down the thin trail of stitches. He looked up and met Carey's eyes. Neither one of them spoke. After a moment, they both returned their gazes to Cody.

Carey bent forward and kissed Cody's forehead.

"Hi, Cody," she said in a shaky voice, "Mommy's here. So is your father. And Zack will be back soon. We all love you very much, baby. We all want you to wake up."

"That's right," Kurt chimed in, "We all want to see you."

Nothing happened. Cody remained lifeless and still.

--------------------

Out in the hall, Zack massaged his forehead. He was leaning back against the bench with his eyes closed. He was trying to think a way to visit Cody without being crippled by that excruciating headache.

"Zack?" asked Carey as she walked out of Cody's room "Is everything okay?"

"When I saw Cody my head started to hurt really bad—like it did before at the hotel," he told her.

Carey nodded in understanding, "seeing Cody like that was difficult for me too, Zack."

"That's not it," Zack said, "I mean, yeah it was hard, but my head _really_ started to hurt. It's just starting to feel normal now. It's weird."

"Oh..."she said, confused, "I guess you probably don't want to go back to see him right now then...right?"

"Wrong," said Zack, feeling frustrated, "I want to see him."

"Zack, it is okay if it makes you feel scared and—"

"Why aren't you listening to what I'm saying?" he snapped.

Than he hurried back into Cody's room without waiting for his mother to reply.

Kurt looked up as Zack came back to Cody's bed side. Zack returned Kurt's gaze, but didn't say anything. He glanced at Cody, and almost immediately, the headache was back.

He squeezed his eyes shut and silently prayed for the headache to go away. The pain was unbearable, and impossible to ignore.

"Are you okay?" asked Kurt.

"Yeah," he lied.

Cody moaned softly. Zack's eyes popped open and he stared at Cody in surprise.

"He's waking up!" he said happily to his father.

Kurt sighed and a look of pity crossed his face, "No he isn't, Zack. Dr. Harrison was just saying that Cody might groan or mumble to himself when he experiences pain. His face twitches and his eyelids flutter, but that doesn't mean that he is waking up."

"Oh," said Zack, hanging his aching head. He did remember Dr. Harrison saying something about that when he and his mom first talked to him. But when he heard Cody make the noise, he hoped for the best.

"But he _will_ wake up,"Kurt said emphatically, "...eventually."

They watched Cody without saying anything. Zack had never seen anyone look so pitiful and helpless before. It scared him to death. What his mom said in the parking lot was really starting to hit home. How on earth could somebody who was hurt _so_ badly ever make a full recovery...how could they even recovered at all?

Zack held his head in his hand. He could not ignore the pain. He closed his eyes. The fluorescent lights were making everything worse.

"It helps if you talk to them," said a voice from behind.

Kurt and Zack turned around and saw a young lady with dark blonde hair in a nurse's uniform standing there.

"I'm Robin," she said in a cheerful voice, "I'll be one of..." she glanced at the clipboard she was carrying, "…Cody's nurses. I was just saying that sometimes when you talk to coma patients it gives them comfort knowing that their loved ones are there with them."

"The doctor told us that," said Kurt, "he said that Cody could hear us."

"There's a good chance that he can," Robin said with a smile, "I'll be back soon to do Cody's exercises."

She left.

Kurt looked at Zack. He looked completely distraught—which was understandable. Kurt regretfully didn't know his sons very well, (a fact that he attributed to his stubborn ex-wife) but one thing that he did know was that they were completely inseparable. This had to be harder on Zack than anyone else.

"I'm going to go, uh, see how Samantha's doing in the waiting room," said Kurt. He thought that Zack might like to be alone with Cody for a little while.

Zack shook his head as he watched his father go.

'_Real nice, Dad_,' he thought, '_Don't think about Cody—just worry about your stupid girlfriend._'

After staring at Cody in silence for almost ten minutes, Zack decided to try and talk to him.

"Hey, Cody," he said hoarsely, "It's Zack."

Zack felt really stupid for saying that—surely Cody could recognize his own twin brother's voice.

"You were hit by a car, but everything's going to be okay—..." his voice cracked. He couldn't go on. Warm tears coursed down his cheeks and he swiped them away. '_I'm not going to cry._'

Still trying to ignore the headache, Zack grabbed a chair that was placed next to the door and dragged it over to Cody's bed. He sat down and squeezed Cody's hand.

The second that Zack touched Cody, the headache was gone. It was as if it had never been there.

'_So when I touched Cody's hand, the pain went away_,' Zack mused. He couldn't figure out what was going on. He did a quick experiment. He pulled his hand away from Cody's to see if the headache would come back when the two of them were not linked together. But it didn't. The pain was gone.

'_This is so weird...I'm just glad that it doesn't hurt anymore._'

Zack leaned close to Cody's face.

"I'm right here, buddy," he whispered, trying to keep the tears out of his voice.

He leaned forward and kissed Cody's cheek. Than he rested his head on his pillow and whispered, "I love you."

---------

Kurt closed the door behind him after exiting Cody's room. He intended to go back to the waiting room to tell Samantha about Cody, but he saw Carey sitting on the bench across the hall, crying.

"Hey," he said gently as he sat down next to her, "Are you okay?"

"No," Carey replied as she wiped her tears away, "I just had an argument with Zack before he went back into Cody's room. Well, it wasn't really an argument, I guess. He told me that his head hurt when he saw Cody, and I told him that it was okay to be scared. Than he yelled at me for supposedly not listening to him and he went back into Cody's room. I know he's stressed out about this—I'm stressed too. I just wish that he would let me be there for him." Her voice was starting to sound higher, like she was about to cry again, "But there's nothing that I can do to make him feel better. There's nothing I can do for Cody either—I don't know how we'll be able to get through this. Especially if...if Cody doesn't make it."

After she choked out those final words, she buried her face in her hands and the floodgates opened.

"God, how can I say that?" she sobbed.

"It's okay," said Kurt. He put a comforting arm around her shoulders, "We'll figure everything out. Zack will come around eventually. He's just isolating himself right now because he's scared and confused. And as for Cody not making it...well, we just can't think like that. We have to think positively. We have to talk to him like Dr. Harrison told us."

"I can't think positively," Carey whispered, "I'm scared that I'll get my hopes up and then..."

She stood up and began to pace back and forth, "I hate myself right now," she said, "I never forget my boys—never. Than the one time I do, look what happens. Kurt, if Cody dies, I'll never forgive myself."

Kurt stood up and took Carey's hands, "this isn't your fault. The only person to blame is the idiot who hit him."

Carey shook her head wistfully, "I don't know how I'll be able to do this. How can I stay strong for Zack and Cody if I can't stay strong for myself?"

Kurt looked into her eyes and said, "You stay strong for them and I'll stay strong for you."

…T.B.C…

Everyone who reviewed: Thank you:)

**Ladybug1**- Thanks for the e-mail. Your advice and constructive criticism has been very helpful. Thank you so much!

**Swimmergirl0001121**- Thanks, I'm glad you like it :)

**Olivetree1**- Thank you! I'm glad you think that they are in character. It's kind of hard to do that because the situation that I put them in is so far removed from anything that would ever happen in the show. I'll try to keep things going slow, thanks for the review!

**I-Luv-Ashley-Tisdale**- Hehe, you are a genius : ) Thanks so much for the review!

**Bluebabydoll**- Well, here's the next chapter! I hope you like it.

**Kal's Gal**- Thanks for the review. I'm glad you liked the 'feeling the pain' concept.

**Arandomkid**- Nice job on your guess :) Thanks for the review.

**Mrs. Ginny Weasley-Potter**- Thanks for the review. I'm glad you like this.

**Snowfrog5152**- I like things to be sad. I am very morbid, lol. Thank you so much for the review.

**Optimistic Girl94**- I'm glad you liked the last chapter. Thanks for reviewing!

**Benlego13**- You're getting ahead of the story, lol. That partwill be in the chapter eight, but thank you for suggesting it anyways, and thank you very much for the review!

**Pikke Wood**- I'm glad you like it!

**Marykate**- Thanks for reviewing!

**Philfan05**- Thank you very much!


	8. Listening

_I'm Right Here_ by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer**: I do not own The Suite Life of Zack and Cody

**Author's Note**: Hello everybody. I was going to wait until tomorrow to type this up, but I wanted to stay on schedule. Therefore, I am here at my Mom's house and I am _freezing_, because my evil step-father doesn't want to turn the heat on yet. I am wearing a coat and I am wrapped in a blanket, and I probably look rather silly—I was wearing gloves (INTHE HOUSE! THIS IS SO NOT RIGHT, LOL) but I couldn't type with them on, so my fingers are very cold. And I am doing this all for you:) I hope you feel special, lol. There is another note at the bottom, right above the review responses. I wanted to explain a few things in the chapter, but I didn't want to give the ending away, so I put it at the bottom. Please review!

"_Brothers don't necessarily have to say anything to each other—they can just sit in a room and be together and just be completely comfortable with each other"_ –Leonardo Di Caprio **(Such a wise and insightful guy, lol)**

**Chapter Eight**

Listening 

The crowd in the waiting room was beginning to disperse. Mrs. King and Mrs. Sanderson organized a schedule for some of the Martins' friends to follow. It was a list of timeslots so that everyone could bring food to the hospital for them and check their mail so they wouldn't have to worry about it while Cody was in the hospital.

After Carey, Kurt, and Zack went to see Cody, the group of people decided to leave. Mrs. King took the schedule home so she could e-mail it to everyone. Once everybody left, Samantha was left alone in the waiting room.

After a little while Kurt came back and saw her dozing off in one of the chairs.

"Hey, Sam," he said after shaking her awake, "Where did everyone go?"

"Back to their homes," she replied, "Somebody will be back tomorrow with lunch. They made a schedule so you guys won't have to eat at the hospital cafeteria."

"That was nice of them," said Kurt.

"Yeah," she paused, "how's Corey doing?"

"It's _Cody_," he corrected her, "and it doesn't look to good. He's got a respirator, and he looks really beaten up. He has stitches and two black eyes. And the doctors didn't even get all the blood cleaned off of him. There's a cut on his forehead and it got blood all over his hair...he looks terrible."

Samantha squeezed his hand, "I'm here for you babe."

Kurt rested his cheek against her head, "I know you are."

She leaned against him and kissed his hand. She had been hesitant about coming up to Boston when Kurt told her what happened, but she knew that he cared about his sons, even though they were practically estranged.

---------------

Back in Cody's room, Zack had fallen asleep. He was sitting in the chair and his head was on Cody's pillow. Carey walked in and saw him sleeping.

"Zack?" she asked softly, massaging his shoulders, "wake up, honey."

Zack blinked a few times, than opened his eyes. The first sight that greeted his eyes was Cody's pale, beaten, unconscious face.

He remembered falling asleep next to him, but hadn't planned on that being the first thing for him to see. The shock forced the sleepiness out of him.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"It's ten o'clock," said Carey. She sat down next to Zack in another one of the chairs that Dr. Harrison brought in for them, "Your father and Samantha got a room at the Tipton. He said that you can sleep in one of the beds in their room and they'll bring you back here first thing tomorrow."

"Are you staying here?"

"Yes. One of the nurses gave me some sheets for the other bed so that I can stay with Cody tonight."

Zack glanced at the other bed in the room, than at Cody.

"I'm staying too," he said. He leaned back in his chair.

"I don't know, sweetheart."

He closed his eyes, "I'm not leaving Cody."

Carey nodded. She knew that he wouldn't give in, "I'll go tell your father."

-------------- **Cody's P.O.V**--------------

_It hurts—everything hurts so bad. It is so dark. I'm scared. I don't know what's going on. I don't know what's happening to me or where I am. My head hurts. Oh, God, I'm so scared. People are yelling, but they seem so far away. Am I dying? Maybe I'm already dead. Somebody's touching me. It's so loud. Why are all these people talking? They are saying my name...How do they know my name?… …I can still here them. I'm tired… so…_

…_What's going on? Why does it still hurt so badly? Somebody's talking to me… it's my mom. _

_Mom? Where are you? _

_She's saying something about Zack and my Dad, but I can't hear her very well. _

_Mom? _

_I don't think she can hear me._

_...He's here. It's Zack. He's right here with me—it hurts him too. I don't want him to hurt. I try to tell him that I don't want him to be hurt, but I can't._

"He's waking up!"

_That was Zack's voice. Am I waking up? He sounds happy. Somebody is talking to him now. He's not happy anymore—he's sad. I can tell. I don't know _how_ I can tell, but I can. More people are talking. I'm glad that they are. I'm nervous when I don't hear anybody..._

_Now Zack is by himself. It's just him and me. He's so scared, like I am, but I feel safe knowing that he is here._

_I wish it didn't hurt so badly. My whole body feels sore. It sort of feels like it is on fire or something. What is happening to me? I wish I could see Zack. I'm glad he's here with me. I don't know what's going on. _

"Hey Cody, it's Zack."

_Zack! I hear Zack's voice again and he's talking to me. He says something about cars than tells me everything is going to be okay. I believe him even though I don't think that he believes himself. _

_He's really sad now. He starts to cry, but he makes himself stop. I want to tell him that it is okay to cry. _

"I'm right here buddy,"

_I know you're here, Zack. I know that Zack isn't going to leave me. Zack always looks out for me when I really need him—like right now._

_Something soft touches my cheek. It makes me feel warm and content inside—I think that it was Zack—no, I know it was._

_My head sinks into something._

"I love you."

_I love you too._

…..To be Continued…..

**Author's Note Part II**: I kind of dramatized the whole "coma thing" in this chapter.In case anyone didn't realize this, Cody's point of view began just after he was hit by the car, and it ended as Zack fell asleep for the second time. I read on one of those websites (see Chapter One) that when people are in a coma, they have sleeping patterns just like they would if they weren't in a coma. So, not to confuse anyone (particularly myself while writing this), Cody's sleeping pattern will basically be the same as Zack, and the others in the story. So even though he's in a coma, he's "awake" during the day, ('Awake' as in he is responsive and whatnot) and "asleep" at night.

If it's not too much to ask, could anyone possibly tell me what you thought of the part written in Cody's P.O.V? I wasn't extremely thrilled with the way this one turned out, but some of the others, I think, are a little better. Now onto my wonderful reviewers...

**Ladybug1**- As always, thank you so much for the e-mail.

**COLE DYLAN LOVER**- Yeah, it sucks to see people you care about hurting. We'll see about that happy ending...I'm not saying anything. Thanks for the review!

**Mrs. Ginny Weasley-Potter**- Thanks for reviewing. I can't answer your questions here, because it will give the ending away, lol. But yeah, everything will be pretty much explained by the time the story is finished : )

**Pikke Wood**- If last chapter was too short, than this one probably is too, lol. Sorry about that. But don't fret. There will be longer chapters coming soon. Thanks for the review!

**Cassie**- Aw, thank you so much! Everything you said made me smile, lol. I would never write a "happy" fanfic, lol. It's just not my style / I'm glad you are enjoying the drama. Thanks again!

**I-Luv-Ashley-Tisdale**- You aren't feeling very positive about Cody are you? Maybe you're wrong... maybe not… I'm not telling, mwahahaha! Sorry last chapter made you sad...well I'm glad your sad because I wanted it to make people sad… but…yeah. Thanks so much for the review!

**Black Wolf Dreams**- I'm glad you liked the chapter. Thanks for the review!

**Swimmergirl0001121**- I'm continuing! Thank you for reviewing : )

**Snowfrog5152**- Here's some more for you : ) And, like always, thank you!

**BILong**- Thank you so much!

**Mikkelson&Tolosa4ever**- Aw, don't cry, lol. And yes, we shall all blame the stupid driver who hit him. Thanks for the review.

**MaohPrincess**- We'll see if you are right : ) Thanks for reviewing.

**Jaden**- I love your name. I'm glad you like the story, thank you for reviewing!

**Britt199**- Thanks! That is so nice for you to say. Our stories do have the same concept, but I think they have plenty of differences. And I love your story, so don't belittle it, lol. Thanks again for you review : )

**Kal's Gal**- I was going to respond to you all vertically so I could be like you, but I was afraid that the lining would get messed up once I posted it, so I stuck to horizontal-ness, lol. Thank you so much for reviewing!

**BLUEBABYDOLL**- Thanks for the review, I'm glad you liked it.

**Optimisticgirl94**- Thanks so much!

**Marykate**- Well, here it is : ) I hope you liked it.

**Rentaosgirl**- Thank you! I'm glad you liked it :) And I am terribly sorry that you can't stop crying. Thanks for reviewing!

My hands are numb...So now it is time for Rose to go to sleep underneath a bajillion covers, and hopefully de-frost. I hope you all liked this chapter, please review.


	9. The Next Morning

_I'm Right Here_ by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer**: I do not own The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.

**Author's Note**: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up!

**Chapter Nine**

The Next Morning

_The greatest advantage of living in a large family is that early lesson of life's essential unfairness."_ –Nancy Mitford

Sunlight bled into the hospital room. In two identical hospital beds lay two identical twin boys. The smaller of the two boys was hooked up to a heart monitor, a respirator, and an IV, and a feeding tube. The bigger one was just waking up.

Zack Martin pulled the covers over his head and snuggled into his pillow. Something didn't seem right...Zack felt different—like he was facing a different direction than usual or something. It smelled weird too—like disinfectant. Why did his sheets seem thinner? Why was his pillow so flat? Why did his mattress feel so stiff? And why did it seem so bright through his closed eyelids? He wanted to yell at Cody for having the light on so early in the morning. That's when it hit him...Cody.

The memories from the night before came flooding back into his head. He remembered starting trouble back at the hotel which caused his mom to be late to pick up Cody from the library. Now Cody was in a coma... Zack shuddered. He remembered everything the doctors said about Cody's condition. And none of it was good.

Zack opened his eyes. The bright lights of the hospital room were like needles in his eyes. He shook his head and blinked. For a second he wondered how he ended up in the bed. He figured that his father—or someone—must have carried him over from the chair he had next to Cody's bed.

He rubbed his eyes and sat up. He looked around. Carey was sitting in the chair next to Cody's bed. She was holding his hand and speaking to him in a low, soothing voice.

Zack got out of bed and walked over to Carey and Cody.

"Mom."

Carey looked up at the sound of his voice.

"Morning, sweetheart," she said with a sort-of smile. She turned back to Cody, "Zack's here with me, Cody. He just woke up."

Zack shifted uncomfortably. He could tell that his mom wanted him to talk to Cody, but he didn't want to. He didn't like talking to Cody because he didn't think that Cody could hear him. But for his mother's sake, he quietly muttered, "Hey, Cody."

Carey stood up and went to the door. There was another chair up against the wall. On the chair there were two paper grocery bags. Carey picked one up and handed it to Zack.

Maddie brought some of our stuff over this morning," Carey told him, "I called her last night because I realized that I didn't need her to baby-sit since we'd be here. She asked if there was anything she could do, so after you fell asleep last night I asked her if she could bring some of our cloths and stuff over here to the hospital."

"M-Maddie was here?" Zack repeated huskily.

"Yeah, for a couple minutes," said Carey, "She had to go to school but she stopped in for a little. She was really upset about Cody. She said that she would come back again before she has to work this afternoon."

Zack was only vaguely listening to what his mother was saying. He was thinking about Maddie—the girl of his dreams. It was nice of her to help out like that. He couldn't help but feel a tiny bit excited that she would be coming to visit that afternoon.

"Why don't you get dressed and brush your teeth," suggested Carey, "than we can go get some breakfast downstairs."

Zack didn't want to leave Cody's room, but his stomach grumbled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten anything since lunch the day before. He reluctantly pulled a toothbrush and a change of clothes out of the brown paper bag. But when he saw the clothes he pulled out, he stopped dead.

In his hands he was holding his read sweatshirt, a pair of jeans, and boxers...his yellow boxers with the pink smiley faces all over him—the ones his friend gave to him for his birthday as a joke—the mosthumiliating ones he owned and _never _wore. A flaming blush crept across his cheeks as he pictured Maddie going through his and Cody's dresser drawers and picking out the most embarrassing underwear he owned. Shaking with frustration and misplaced anger he looked at his mom.

"How could you do this to me?" he asked in a low, accusing voice.

Carey frowned, "how could I do what to you?"

"This!" he shouted, flinging the stack of clothes at her, "Now Maddie probably thinks that I am the biggest loser ever, and it's all your fault!"

"Zack, what are you talking about?" she asked, "Why would Maddie—and how is it _my_ fault?"

He grabbed the clothes out of Carey's hands, "You wouldn't understand," he said loudly, "but because of you, now Maddie must think I'm a total idiot. She probably thinks I'm a dork like...like _Cody_!"

As those final words escaped from his mouth, Zack's eyes grew wide and his heart skipped a beat.

_'How could I have said that!' _He wondered silently, _'What the hell is wrong with me?_'

"What the hell is wrong with you!" yelled Carey, echoing his thoughts.

Cody groaned and began to mumble incoherently. Zack's heart leapt for a split second, but Cody's eyes remained closed. His eyebrows were knitted together, and although the respirator covered his mouth, Zack could see that the corners of his lips were turned down. Zack remembered the doctors saying that they were supposed to stay positive when they were with Cody.

Carey ran her fingers through Cody's—now clean—hair and rested her hand on his forehead.

"It's okay, sweetie," she whispered, "Everything's okay."

Zack looked worriedly at his brother. His grimace was slowly fading away as Carey comforted him.

"Zack," Carey said in a calm, almost patronizing tone of voice, "Do you want to tell me what's wrong _without_ raising your voice?"

"What do you _think_ is wrong?" he whispered through gritted teeth, "Cody's in a coma, Maddie thinks I'm a baby, and...and"

He stepped closer to Cody's bed. Seeing him like that still made him want to cry...but he was _not_ going to cry.

He tried not to think about it. He searched his brain for something happy to think of...something like Maddie...but he didn't want to think about her at the moment.

"Everything's ruined," he muttered.

Carey watched him as he walked to the bathroom to brush his teeth and change his clothes. She sighed, he wasn't handling the situation very well. But she couldn't blame him. This was extremely hard for him. Like her, Zack loved Cody very much.

-------

At around noon, Mrs. King returned to the hospital with a few dishes of food. It took awhile, but Carey managed to coax Zack out of Cody's room. After breakfast that morning, Zack returned to the chair next to Cody's bed. He didn't say a single word during the hours that he sat there. He just held Cody's hand and gently stroke it with his thumb. When Carey finally talked Zack into leaving to eat lunch, they went outside to eat in the courtyard.

Samantha carried the food that Mrs. King left them outside and Kurt, Carey, and Zack soon joined her.

"Is Cody doing better today?" Samantha asked as they sat down at a picnic table by a small pond. She hadn't seen Cody at all yet because the night before they only allowed members of the immediate family in to see him.

"No," Carey said coldly, "There haven't been any changes."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Mmhmm," murmured Carey as she began to uncover the dishes.

Mrs. King went all out. She made chicken salad and croissants and a cherry pie. There was a large covered pitcher of pink lemonade and she even included napkins, paper plates, forks, and cups.

Zack, who discovered the over used cliché that hospital food tasted terrible was very true, was grateful that Mrs. King was such a good cook.

After lunch I'm going to take Sam up to see Cody," Kurt announced as he scooped some of the chicken salad onto his croissant, "She would like to see him."

Carey took a huge bite so that she didn't have to say anything.

Kurt and Samantha exchanged knowing glances.

"I was talking to Dr. Harrison earlier this morning," said Kurt, trying to break the silence, "He said that they could do another surgery to repair the damages to his lungs. It could get him off the respirator."

"I know all this," said Carey, "Dr. Harrison told me we could discuss the possibilities of another operation later today."

Zack looked up, surprised, "Why didn't you tell me that?"

"Because I haven't decided if I want him to have the surgery right away."

"Why not? Don't you want Cody to get better?"

"Zack, of course I want him to get better," said Carey, "But I don't think it would be a good idea for him to have two surgeries in two days."

"Well what did Dr. Harrison say? He wouldn't suggest it if it were a bad idea, right?" asked Zack.

"I'll be talking to Cody's doctors later today," Kurt said, "I want to hear his opinion. I trust him enough—"

"Why do you keep saying 'I'?" Carey cut in, "It's my decision."

"Carey, he's my son too."

"Well I have custody," she retorted.

"And how exactly do _you_ expect to pay all the hospital bills?"

Zack shook his head. He watched as his parents' fight progressed. It was like going back in time. Back when they were married, all they ever did was fight. Zack and Cody had considered it to be a good night if their mother wasn't reduced to tears, and their father was not sleeping on the couch.

He glanced across the picnic table and saw that Samantha looked extremely uncomfortable. But he didn't care.

His parents continued to fire insults back and fourth.

_'They need to grow up,'_ he thought to himself.

He stifled a sigh and picked up his paper plate. He threw it away in a nearby trash can, than went back into the hospital to be with Cody.

**To Be Continued...**

_Many thanks to everyone who reviewed!_

**Pikke Wood**: We'll see about that ;)

**Mrs. Ginny Weasley-Potter**: It's thirty chapters all together, but I have been making some revisions to the final few chapters, so it might end up being more than that. So I guess I'll be keeping you on the edge of your seat for awhile, lol. Thanks for the review.

**Ice Angel Kouro**: I'm glad you found my story : ) And I am glad that you like it! No, this isn't a slash. I like reading slash, I just didn't think it would be appropriate for this story. Maybe next time : ) Thanks so much for the review!

**Kal's Gal**: Of course : )

**Cassie:** I'm glad you liked it! Everything you said in the review was very nice, and made me extremely happy! I am so happy that you think that it is realistic, because that is the way I wanted it to be! Thank you!

**OptimisticGirl94**: I'm glad that you liked Cody's P.O.V. There will be another one or two of them, but that's all I'm saying XD Thanks for reviewing!

**MaohPrincess**: I'll try to tone the angst down, but it'll be hard because angst is what I love : ) Drama!Tears!Hugs! is/are what I live for, lol. Thanks for the review!

**P. Buffay**: Oh my God, thank you! That was the sweetest review ever. (It was perfect, lol) I couldn't stop smiling as I read it. Writing is like, my favorite thing to do, so it is great to know that someone appreciates my story so much : ). And it is so cool that you read the whole thingall at once. It's definetly good to know that I was able to keep you attention for that long! I hope that you continue to read it (and continue to leave more awesome reviews hint hint j/p) Thanks again!

**Snowfrog5152**: Thank you very much! I'm glad you liked it!

**Danielle**: Thanks!

**Rusted and Weathered**: Sorry I made you cry, but I'm glad that you're liking it! And thank you for saying that I'm a good writer, that means a lot to me : ) Thanks for the review!

**SpotlessLadybug:** Aw, thanks : ) I'm glad that you like it. It's good to know that you think it's realistic, because that's definitely what I'm going for. Thank you for the review!

**BrItTaNy2005:** Thank you for the review!

**I-Luv-Ashley-Tisdale**: Congratulations on your Bar Mitzvah! I'm glad you liked the chapter, thanks so much for the review!

**Tinkerbell303:** Don't cry! Lol, thanks so much for the review

**Sk0001121:** Thanks for reviewing!

**Crimsontears824**- Thank you for the review!

**Britt199**: Thanks so much for the review! I'm glad that you decided to continue with your story. I hope you get your computer figured out : )

**Once again, I am sorry it took so long to get this chapter posted. Please review!**


	10. Maddie

_I'm Right Here_ by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Suite Life of Zack and Cody

**Author's Note:** Sorry it took so long to update!(again!) I've been really busy. I'm in a musical (Once On This Island) right now and that is taking up most of my time. Also there's homework, and my birthday was last weekend. But since I am a loser with no plans on a Friday night, I finally have a chance to update! There is another author's note and my review responses at the end of the chapter.

**Chapter Ten**

Maddie

"_Are you my therapist? Take a walk!"_ –Adam Sandlar_, Big Daddy _(**I couldn't resist**)

Maddie Fitzpatrick absentmindedly twirled her golden blonde hair around her pinky finger. She was sitting in the passenger seat of her brother, Alex's car as he drove her to St. Lucia Memorial Hospital. All that she could think about was Cody Martin. She was very attached to both of the Martin twins. Zack was definitely the more endearing of the two. He was always hitting on her and trying to flirt with her. He was also usually the mastermind between the crazy pranks that the boys played. But he wasn't the "smart one". No, that was Cody. Cody was the smart, sweet, sensitive boy who she often babysat for. Only now he was in the hospital—trapped somewhere between life and death.

Alex pulled into the parking lot and stopped the car.

"I'll pick you up in about forty-five minutes," he told her.

"Okay," Maddie replied as she opened the door and hopped out, "Thanks."

She watched him drive away than turned to go into the ominous hospital. She thought about Cody as she walked to the elevator that would take her up to the help desk on the eighth floor. That was where she met Carey earlier that morning when she dropped off her things.

"Hi," she said to the receptionist when she got there, "I'm here to see Cody Martin."

The receptionist typed something into the computer at the desk and than looked up, "I'm sorry," she said, "but he's in a critical condition. You can't go in there unless you are with a member of his immediate family."

"Oh, I know the family very well," Maddie explained, "can you just give me the room number so I can—'

But the receptionist was already shaking her head, "I am very sorry, but I can't do that. It goes against the hospital's privacy policy."

"But, I—'

She was cut off again.

"Maddie!"

Maddie turned around and saw Carey walking toward her.

"Hey," she said with a strained smile, "How are you? I was just on my way to get some more coffee and I heard your voice."

Maddie hurried over to her, forgetting all about the receptionist.

"How is he?" she asked as her eyes welled up with tears.

"Not too good right now," Carey admitted, "but he's going to be fine."

Maddie noticed that Carey sounded as though she didn't believe what she was saying.

"What about Zack?" she asked, "Is he doing okay?"

Carey shook her head, "It is almost impossible to get him to leave Cody's room. And every time I try to talk to him he ends up yelling at me."

Maddie furrowed her brow, "That doesn't sound like Zack."

"I know," Carey said, "I know I shouldn't let him get away with it, but he's taking this so hard. Maybe seeing you will help put him in a better mood."

She smiled softly and followed her down the hall to Cody's room.

"I should tell you, Cody doesn't exactly look like himself. He doesn't look good at all. He has a lot of cuts and bruises. He has stitches going down his cheek. And he's on a ventilator... it's kind of scary at first."

Maddie's heartbeat began to speed up as she and Carey approached Cody's room. She wasn't sure if she wanted to see Cody. She had never seen anybody seriously hurt in the hospital before.

But as Carey steered her into the hospital room, she realized that she had no choice. They walked into the room.

The image that Maddie saw caught her by surprise. Cody was laying in the bed, completely still. He looked dead. Zack was sitting in a chair next to the bed. He was stroking Cody's mangled cheek with his thumb.

"Zack, look who's here," Carey said, gesturing to Maddie.

Zack looked up, scowling at his mother. He thought about what happened that morning—he was too embarrassed about it to even look at Maddie.

"Hey, Zack," Maddie offered weakly.

Zack grunted in reply, and did his best to advert his eyes.

Carey sighed, than turned back to Maddie, "Here," she said, guiding her closer to Cody's bed, "You can talk to him if you want. The nurses and doctors told us that Cody might be able to hear us."

She drew in a long, shaky breath. Cody looked even worse close up than he did from a distance. Her stomach clenched. She didn't want to talk to him for fear that she would start crying in front of Zack and Carey. And besides, she had no idea of what she was supposed to say to him.

"Uh, hi Cody," she choked out. She had to stop there.

Zack stood up and walked out of the room.

"I'll be right back," Carey said with a sigh as she watched the door close, "I am going to go talk to him"

"Wait. Let me do it," Maddie said, eager to get out of the room. She cared about Cody a lot and she wanted to be there for him, but it hurt so much to see him like that. And she wanted to be there for Zack too.

Carey looked at her and nodded, "That's a good idea. If I go out there we'll just have another fight. But maybe he'll be able to talk to you without freaking out."

Maddie nodded than walked out the door without casting a second glance at Cody.

She found Zack sitting in the bench across the hall. He was leaning back and his eyes were closed.

"Hey," she said, sitting down next to him, "Are you okay?"  
"No." He replied shortly. His eyes remained tightly closed.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Come on, Zack?" she said softly. She turned to face him, "Talking about your feelings will make you feel better. Trust me. You really shouldn't keep your emotions locked inside."

Zack opened his eyes and frowned at her, "Are you a psychiatrist all of the sudden? Cause if your not you should just keep your words of wisdom to yourself."

Her eyes widened in surprise, "Zack, I just want to help."

"So go back to the hotel and look through my room again!"

He stomped away, leaving Maddie alone and feeling utterly bewildered.

**To Be Continued…**

**Author's Note: **I just wanted to say that I think it's so cool that there's over a hundred stories in this section. I remember when there was only one! I love that now we can actually choose from a bunch of different fics. But at the same time, I kind of liked how for awhile it was only a few of us here reading and posting stories. Oh well, the series is getting more popular, so naturally there are going to be more people coming here. Sorry that I'm weird. I tend to note my observations /

**Thank you, everyone who reviewed!**

**Solitaire's Mornie**: Thank you! I definitely took my time posting this one. I'm glad you liked last chapter!

**I-Luv-Ashley-Tisdale**: Oh my God, Thank you! Nobody's ever said that I was the best writer that they've ever known (with or without the ""'s around known, lol) I'm glad that you're looking forward to the Kurt/Samantha/Carey/Zack relationship (or anti-relationship in some cases) because I have a lot of that coming up. Thanks so much for the review!

**Optimisticgirl94**: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it.

**Snowfrog5152**- Thanks for the review. This story has about twenty more chapters left. I hope you like them!

**Kal's Gal**- It might take me awhile, but of course : )

**MaohPrincess**- I'm glad you liked the chapter. And I'm so happy that you noticed the quotes I put up in the beginning! They are just a creative beginning, but I make sure to find quotes that sort of tie into their specific chapter, you know? Thanks so much for the review!

**Pikke Wood**- Thanks for the review!

**Mikkelson&Tolosa4ever**- I hope you're feeling better. Thanks for the review!

**xXKonversexXxKidXx**- Wow, thanks! There's some really good stories in this section, so I hope you find some that you like! I hope you enjoy the rest of my chapters!

**Swimmergirl1121**- Thank you!

**Crimsontears824**- I'm glad you like it! Thanks for the review!

**Nachonaco**- Thank you! "Cody's gonna be okay, right?" ... I don't know about that :laughs evilly: but I'm not giving anything away, so we'll see : ) Thanks for the review!


	11. Unshed Tears

_I'm Right Here _by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer:** I do not own "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody". If I did the last few episodes would have been _much_ different… That's all I'm saying : )

**Author's Note:** Well, it has been almost two months since I last updated. Here are a few of my reasons (aka excuses) for neglecting my loving readers: 1. I was in a musical which took up a lot more of my time than I thought it would (but it's over now). 2. I have been doing a lot of writing that involve characters that I created myself instead of stealing them from Disney shows. 3. I was annoyed at fan fiction dot net for telling me that I'm not allowed to respond to the reviewers in the chapters. 4. I'm lazy.  
There are a few other things that I need to address in this note. One being, I do not like the show anymore. This is half because of the actors and half because of the writers. At this point, the characters should be much more developed, but it seems like they are even more one-dimensional than they were when the show first started.  
Something else that I want to point out is that in my story Kurt is very different from the Kurt that was on the show. For one thing, he's a lawyer, not a musician. And obviously, he and Carey don't get a long. It has been years, not months, since he's seen his family.  
There's more that I want to say, but I'm not going to because I know y'all came here to read the story, not listen to my rant. So, in closing, I want to apologize for taking so long to update. I promise, promise, _promise_ that I won't take this long next time! Chapter Twelve will be up within a week… ish. Lol, enjoy the chapter and please review.

**Chapter Eleven**

Unshed Tears

"_For every minute you are angry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness"_- Unknown

Carey, Kurt, Samantha, and Zack sat in a small room on the second floor of the hospital. They were crowded around a long, rectangular table. The lights were dimmed and nobody was saying anything. They were waiting for Dr. Harrison.

Zack scowled across the table. His father and Samantha were holding each other's hands. Zack couldn't figure out _why_ exactly that bothered him. He couldn't figure out why anything (or everything for that matter) was bothering him. But the only time that he felt even close to content was when he was sitting with Cody. He didn't mind when other people sat there with them as long as they kept quiet. It upset him that they were able to talk to his brother when he couldn't. He didn't understand how the adults were able to talk to someone who possibly couldn't even here them. His parents were both able to have lengthy one sided conversations with him. And Samantha, who didn't even know Cody, was able to chat up a storm. While on the other hand, Zack—Cody's _twin brother_—couldn't say anything at all. Every time he tried to speak to Cody his throat would get tight and tears would fill his eyes. And Zack promised himself that he wouldn't cry.

The door opened and light flooded the room. Dr. Burke walked in with Dr. Harrison following closely behind her.

"Good afternoon," she chirped, "how is everybody doing today?"

The four of them looked up and didn't even bother to fake a smile.

The two doctors sat down at the front of the table.

"Alright then," Dr. Harrison said as he opened his portfolio, "we discussed the option of operating on Cody's lung to get him off the respirator."

"Won't you have to do that anyways?" Samantha asked, "I mean once he wakes up he can't just walk around with a respirator attached to him."

"If he can even walk at all," Zack muttered. He didn't even bother to add the possibility of Cody not waking up. He didn't want to waste any more time on something that Samantha said.

_'Why is she even here anyway?' _he wondered silently.

"Yes," Dr. Harrison said, ignoring Zack's retort, "and I would recommend that we start the surgery as soon as possible, maybe even within the next few hours. The sooner that Cody is able to breathe on his own, the better.

"So what are we waiting for?" Kurt asked.

"Well," said Mrs. Burke, "Ms. Martin hasn't signed the release form."

All eyes were on Carey.

"Carey, what's this all about?" Kurt asked, "Why are you so against this?"

"What are the risks?" Carey asked, Dr. Harrison.

"The risks of the surgery or the risks of not having it?"

"Well I meant the risks of the surgery," Carey admitted, "But now that you mention it, what happens if he doesn't have it?"

"The risks of the surgery are very standard," Dr. Burke told her, "Things _can_ go wrong. But the risks of not having the surgery far outweigh—"

"If Cody doesn't have this surgery any number of complications could arise," said Dr. Harrison, "he could develop a lung infection for starters. The ventilator is putting a lot of unnecessary pressure on his circulatory system. And not being able to breathe on his on will seriously handicap him in the recovery process."

"But he just had a surgery yesterday!" cried Carey, "with every surgery there are risks and he's already so weak."

"Ms. Martin, these risks are not the ones you should be choosing to avoid," Dr. Burke insisted, "Without this surgery you are severely pushing back Cody's chances of survival."

Carey took in what everyone was saying to her, "I'll sign," she whispered.

Dr. Burke pulled a form out of the portfolio and slid it across the table to Carey. Carey read over the contents than signed her name.

Dr. Harrison glanced at his watch, "It's just after four," he announced, "We'll start prepping him at five o'clock. You can stay with him until then."

The doctors said goodbye than left the room.

"I guess we should be getting up there, then," said Kurt.

He and Samantha stood up.

"You guys go ahead," said Carey, "Zack and I will be up in a few minutes."

Zack took that as his cue to stay put. Obviously his mother wanted to talk to him about something. And she started to once Samantha and Kurt were out of the room.

"These past twenty four hours haven't exactly been pleasant, have they?" she asked.

Zack guiltily shook his head, vaguely wishing that the past twenty four hours didn't even happen. Or maybe that the past twenty four hours and forty-five minutes didn't happen—that Cody had never gotten hit. But Zack was old enough to know that wishes didn't come true.

"I'm sorry that we haven't been getting along, honey," she said, "I know we'd both be able to get through this better if only we could talk to each other without making each other mad."

Zack nodded in agreement. He knew that he was hurting his mother by pulling away from her—just like he had been hurting Cody in recent weeks. But he couldn't help it—maybe it was just his teenage rebellion. He thought about how on TV teenagers would blame everything on hormones. He always thought that was a stupid cliché, but now that he was almost a teenager himself he realized that it was probably true.

"I'm sorry too," he said quietly.

Carey hugged him, "I love you, Zack," she said as tears filled her eyes, "you and Cody are everything to me."

"I love you too," he whispered, trying once again not to cry.

Together they left the room and headed upstairs. Neither one of them said anything until they were in the elevator.

"Zack," said Carey, "I know you're trying to be optimistic, and that's good, but I want to make sure that you stay focused on the reality of the situation."

The remorse that Zack had been feeling towards his mother vanished as soon as that sentence escaped from her mouth.

"What are you talking about?" he asked irritably.

"I just want you to be aware that this," she choked back a sob, "this could be the last time we see Cody."

And just like that, the angry hormones took over, "WHY ARE YOU TELLING ME THIS? DO YOU NOT THINK THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT?"

"Zack," she whispered, reaching out to hug him.

He pulled away, "Just leave me alone."

The elevator stopped on the eighth floor and they got out. They walked to Cody's room.

Kurt and Samantha were already there. They were telling Cody about the weather.

_'How thrilling,'_ Zack thought sarcastically.

"Your mom and your brother are here," Samantha said sweetly as she pushed his hair back.

Carey came forward and gave Cody a kiss, "Hi, honey," she said.

Zack, however, hung back at the foot of the bed and waited for everyone to leave so he could be alone for Cody.

But they didn't leave. For the next forty minutes they stood there staying stupid phrases such as, "We're here for you," and "we love you," and "stay strong."

With each passing minute, Zack grew resentful of the adults. They were hogging all of the time to themselves. Didn't they realize that he wanted to be alone with Cody? As time stretched on, Zack became impatient and sort of anxious. The doctors would be there soon and it looked like Zack wouldn't get to be alone with Cody at all….

And sure enough, Dr. Harrison soon led a team of doctors into Cody's room. One of the nurses began to usher Carey, Kurt, Samantha, and Zack out.

Zack stared helplessly at Cody. He felt defeated. He missed his chance to be alone with him before the operation. And that's when it hit him: there was a chance that Cody would die during the surgery. If he did, Zack would have to live with the fact that he never said goodbye—he'd never be able to forgive himself for that.

"Wait!"  
Everyone looked at Zack.

"Uh, wait," he repeated, "I—can I…" his voice trailed off.

"What is it, Zack?" asked Carey.

"I—I need to be alone with him… I didn't get a chance to be with him."

"Zack, you were here with him this whole time," said Kurt.

"I know," he said, "but…" he didn't know how to explain himself, but his parents and Samantha and the doctors were all staring at him, waiting to hear what he had to say.

"Can he have a few minutes to be alone with Cody?" asked Carey, coming to his rescue.

Dr. Harrison nodded in understanding, "only a few minutes though," he said, "we need to start prepping him for the surgery."

Everyone left.

Zack walked over to Cody and picked up his limp hand.

"Hey, buddy," he said, "It's me. I'm here now. Uh, the doctors are going to try to make you better, okay?"

He stupidly waited for a reply that never came, "Okay. I'll be waiting for you right here so don't—don't leave me."

Zack felt tears clog his throat.

"Everything's going to be fine," he said defiantly, "And… if it's not fine… I just need you to know that I love you."

Tears began to fall but he stubbornly wiped them away.

He kissed Cody's forehead and let his lips linger there for a few seconds, "I can't lose you, Cody."

Zack felt a hand rest upon his shoulder. He looked up and saw Dr. Harrison standing there. He quickly walked out of the room without saying anything else.

His parents and Samantha were sitting on the bench across the hall. Zack leaned against the wall next to Cody's door and closed his eyes. After about five minutes, the door opened and the doctors wheeled Cody away.

Kurt stood up, "We should go down to the waiting room," he said.

Zack watched as Cody disappeared down the hall. He felt a pang of fear in his chest, and he got the urge to cry. But holding the tears back was becoming harder and harder every time.

"Oh, Zack," said Carey, who seemed to have noticed what was going on, "come here."

He threw his arms around her and let her hold him like she did the day before, after Dr. Harrison told them about Cody. And like the day before, Zack refused to let himself cry.

Carey rubbed his back and kissed his hair. She soothingly whispered, "Its okay, its okay, its okay," over and over again as if it were a lullaby.

After a few minutes, Zack began to calm down. He pulled away slightly, staying close enough so that his mom kept her comforting arms around his shoulders.

"I'm sorry about what happened in the elevator," he told her.

She kissed his forehead and nodded, "I know, baby."

The four of them walked down to the waiting room. They sat there for a half hour, until Mrs. King arrived with mashed potatoes, gravy, and fudge brownies—their dinner. They took it into the hospital cafeteria so they could use the microwaves to heat it up. They invited Mrs. King to join them. As the five of them ate, they talked about normal things—everything except for Cody.

---

The doctors finished prepping Cody for the operation.

---

Zack finished his mashed potatoes and took a bite of his brownie.

---

Dr. Ryan began to spread an orange liquid on Cody's chest.

---

"So how are you doing in school, Zack?" asked Kurt.

"Fine," he lied.

---

Dr. Harrison injected a needle in the back of Cody's hand. The anesthesia began to drip through his veins.

---

Zack finished his desert and took a sip of water. He rubbed the back of his hand which began to hurt.

---

Dr. Ryan took the scalpel and sliced Cody's chest open so they could begin the surgery.

---

A blinding pain seared through Zack's head and he yelled out in anguish.

---

The doctors began to repair Cody's damaged lung.

---

"Zack! What's wrong?" Carey asked, leaping up from her seat.

Zack clenched his teeth. His hands flew to his forehead. The pain was completely unbearable—even worse than the day before. He felt like his forehead was being sliced open with a serrated knife.

His parents, Samantha, Mrs. King, and some of the hospital staff began to crowd round him. He felt claustrophobic… and dizzy… and… as if he were… falling…

For the second time in two days, Zack fainted.

TBC...

I also want to add thatI'll be responding to everyone who signs in to review, but I still love everyone who reviewed anonymously. I sent out reponses to everyone who reviewed chapter ten earlier today. I'm sorry if I missed anyone. And once again, I'm sorry this took me so long to put up!


	12. Ten Minutes Ago

_I'm Right Here_ by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer-** I don't own _The Suite Life of Zack and Cody_

**Author's Note: **Isn't it awesome how a month ago I said that chapter twelve would be up in a week, and then it wasn't? Yeah, sorry about that. But thank you everyone for the overwhelming (not really—I loved them all) amount of reviews and PMs! They made me feel extremely loved, and it makes me feel even more terrible that it took so long to update. There's another note at the end of the chapter for my reviewers! Okay, that'll be enough of that. Here's chapter twelve:

**Chapter Twelve**

Ten Minutes Ago

"_Head wounds are so dramatic"_ –Augustan Burroughs, from _Dry_

Once again, Carey, Kurt, and Samantha were crowded around an unconscious boy in a hospital bed. Only this time, the boy wasn't Cody. It was Zack.

Carey shook her head nervously. Now she was just as worried about Zack as she was about Cody. She thought back to the day before, when Zack passed out for the first time.

At the time, Dr. Harrison had just told them that Cody was in a coma. Zack made a sort of gasping noise when he heard the news, then he just slid onto the floor. He lay perfectly still for a few seconds, than began to stir once Dr. Harrison called his name. He woke up, and after a few minutes he was fine. It scared Carey when it happened, but it was nothing compared to how she felt when Zack passed out in the hospital cafeteria.

It was one of the scariest moments she'd ever experienced. Everything had been fine. For awhile it almost seemed normal. Then, out of nowhere, Zack screamed. He was clutching the back of his head and wearing a pained grimace on his face. She went to him, but before she reached him he collapsed.

There were some doctors and nurses in the cafeteria when it happened, and they knew what to do. Zack wouldn't wake up, so someone came with a stretcher.

Carey and Kurt told them what happened—how his head seemed to be hurting before he lost consciousness. Carey also told them about the headaches he experienced the day before. Because of the headaches, and the fact that Zack hit his head really hard when he hit the Formica floor, the doctors gave Zack a CAT scan.

The scan showed that Zack had a very slight concussion, but there was absolutely no explanation for the headaches. The doctors decided that they were probably the result of stress.

After the scan, the doctors wheeled Zack into a small room in the ER. Carey, Kurt, and Samantha spent the next few hours at his bedside, not saying anything.

"He's not looking too good, is he?" Kurt observed, breaking the silence that had hung over the room for the past few hours.

Samantha squeezed Kurt's hand, "I'm sure he'll be fine."

Carey bit her lip. She wished she could be as confident as Samantha, but the hospital really seemed to bring out the pessimistic side of her. It had been four hours since Zack's episode, and he still hadn't woken up. And besides, she agreed with Kurt. Zack didn't look good at all. His blond hair was matted down against his forehead. There were dark circles under his eyes. He was wearing a hospital gown.

_'He looks like Cody again,' _she thought to herself.

A nurse walked into the room.

"Hi," she said with a bright smile, "he's still out?"

Carey nodded somberly.

"It's been a really long time," Kurt said worriedly, "are they sure there's nothing wrong?"

"Well nothing showed up on the CAT scan," she replied breezily, "A lot of times sleep is the best cure for head injuries."

When she said "head injuries" Carey shuddered. Those words made her think of Cody. It was a weird coincidence that both of her twins were weakened with head injuries at the same time. The difference was the degree of seriousness between the two. Zack's being minor, and Cody's being possibly fatal.

"That's strange," Samantha spoke up, "There was this kid who got a concussion at my nephew's baseball game a few weeks ago and there was a doctor there who said that it was important for him not to go to sleep."

"All concussions work differently," the nurse said, "But you are right. In that situation it would have been important to keep the victim awake before he got to the hospital. But luckily for Zack, he was in a place where he could get the medical care that he needed immediately. And besides, it's not that we're _letting _him sleep," she paused and lowered her voice, "he just can't wake up on his own until he's ready."

She went to Zack's bed and checked his pulse.

"His heart rate's normal," she announced, making a note on a pad of paper, "I'll be back soon to check on him."

Carey went closer to Zack and sat on the edge of his bed. She gently caressed his forehead and said, "It's been a rough two days for you, hasn't it?"

Samantha looked into Kurt's eyes, and he nodded in response.

"I'll go get us some coffee," she whispered to excuse herself.

Once she was gone, Kurt walked over to his ex-wife.

"It's been a rough two days for all of us, Carey," he said gently.

"They're always together," she said, "This is killing him."

"He'll be able to get through this, Carey. He's not alone."

"I know," said Carey as her eyes filled with tears, "But—I don't know what to do."

Kurt took her hand, "it's okay."

"No, it's not. It's not. The boys and I have been through so much together. We've had so many hard times, but we survived because we had each other. And now—now we might not have that anymore."

He sat down in the chair that she was using before she sat on Zack's bed.

"I'm sorry I haven't always been there for you guys," he said grittily.

She shook her head, "It's my fault. I pushed you away."

"I'll make it up to you," he told her, as if he didn't hear her last sentence, "I don't know how, but I will."

"Just by being here you are making up for my mistakes."

"Well I told you I'd stay strong for you, didn't I?"

Carey smiled, "Yes, you did."

Kurt noticed that the fluorescent hospital lights made here tears glitter. Her eyes were like two sparkling sapphires. And her smile, though bittersweet, lit up her face.

For Carey, this conversation was bringing back happy memories. She remembered when they had been each other's support system. Things changed when Zack and Cody were born. Carey had to forget about her dreams of becoming a famous Broadway singer, and focus on her new dream: being the perfect wife and mother. But money was tight and work was hard to find. Thus, the fighting began.

But now they weren't fighting, and Carey was beginning to remember what made her fall in love with Kurt so many years ago. His strength, his kindness, and of course, his sense of humor were so appealing to her. His now, in his thirties, Kurt was gorgeous with his dark brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. And he had the perfect smile—a smile that Carey had the sudden urge to kiss.

She leaned close to him and he leaned in too. Their eyes locked as they moved closer and closer together. Their lips were only inches apart…

…then Kurt pulled away.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I can't—Samantha."

Carey nodded in a disappointed understanding, "Right. Samantha," she looked at him, "You really love her, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do."

"That's good… for you, I mean."

She looked at Zack to avoid Kurt's eyes. She resumed stroking his forehead, and an awkward silence befell.

After a few minutes, Samantha returned with three steaming cups of black coffee. She passed them around and the three of them sipped their drinks without saying anything to each other. Kurt returned to his seat on the other side of the bed, next to Samantha. He put his arm around her shoulders. His facial expression was apologetic and there was a hint of guilt in his eyes.

Zack shifted in his sleep and pulled the covers up to his neck.

"Zack, sweetie?" Carey asked, "Are you waking up?"

He rolled over onto his side and buried his face in his pillows.

"Zack?" Carey rubbed his back, "Please open your eyes, baby."

Kurt and Samantha exchanged hopeful looks.

Zack rubbed his eyes and sat up, "What happened?" he asked groggily.

"You fainted and hurt your head. How do you feel?"

He leaned back against the pillows and held his hand to his head. He remembered being in the cafeteria and that his headache returned. And it was bad—much worse than it had been before.

"Dizzy," he muttered, "but normal, I guess."

Carey nodded in understanding, "Good, so your head doesn't hurt?"

"I'm fine," he insisted, "Is Cody out of surgery yet?"

"No," Carey replied, "We haven't heard anything so far."

But a few minutes later, a doctor came into the room.

"Hi," he said, "you're Cody Martin's family, correct?"

"Yes," Kurt answered, standing up, "How is he?"

Zack sat up straight in his bed. He tried to read the expression on the doctor's face. He didn't seem particularly sad, but he didn't look happy either. He looked… bored.

_'Please say that Cody's okay,'_ Zack prayed silently with his fingers crossed.

"He just got out of surgery about ten minutes ago," the doctor told them, "There were a few complications, but it went well. He's still breathing with the respirator, but Dr. Harrison doesn't want to take him off of it until tomorrow. We want to make sure that he gets through the night before making any big changes."

Despite learning about the complications, Zack felt relief was h over him like a wave. The surgery was over. It went well. Cody would be breathing on his own soon. Zack was so thankful that he could have cried. But, of course, he didn't.

"That's good," Carey said breathlessly, "So when can we see him?"

"Soon," the doctor assured them, "he's in recovery right now."

He looked at Zack, "I heard you acquired some head injuries of your own. Are you feeling okay now?"

"I'm fine."

Carey ran her fingers through Zack's golden blond hair, "Yeah, he just woke up about tine minutes ago."

Zack felt shivers run up his spine.

_'Ten minutes ago'_

The room was suddenly silent again. Everyone noticed the connection.

The doctor was the first to speak, "perfect timing," he said with a small laugh, "what a coincidence."

"You got that right," said Kurt.

The doctor stood up, "Somebody will notify you when you can visit with Cody. It won't be too much longer."

They thanked him and watched him walk out the door.

"So by this time tomorrow Cody will be breathing on his own," said Kurt.

Zack nodded, thinking to himself, _'as long as he makes it through the night.'_

**TBC…**

**To the reviewers: **First of all, thank you! I love you all. I want to thank you all individually, so if anyone who reviewed my last chapter (**or sent a personal message**) did not get a reply, please let me know in a PM or an e-mail, and I'll get back to you. Also, thanks to those of you who replied anonymously! Please keep it up (hint :D)


	13. Safety Net

_I'm Right Here _by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer** I do not own _The Suite Life of Zack and Cody_

**Author's Note:** Heeey... are you ready for the longest chapter of the story? Over three thousand words people! If you get bored halfway through, I totally understand, but I think you should leave a review anyway, lol. You know I love them:) Enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter Thirteen**

Safety Net

"_I'm shedding my skin so you can see my face"_–Idina Menzel

After what seemed like hours, Dr. Harrison came to get Zack, Carey, Kurt, and Samantha so they could see Cody. Zack was feeling much better, but still a little bit tired.

When they arrived in the recovery room, Carey, Kurt, and Samantha quickly crowded around Cody's bed. Zack sort of hung back, but he still had a perfect view of his brother's face. It was swollen and sort of puffy, which made him feel nervous.

"Why does he look like that?" he asked shakily.

"It is just a side effect from the surgery," Dr. Harrison told him, "it happens most of the time. But don't worry; the swelling will go down within a day or two."

They spent some more time with Cody. Carey and Kurt continued to speak to him as if he were really contributing to their conversation. Zack stood at the foot of the bed and didn't say a word. The adults noticed this, and remembering what happened before the surgery, they urged Zack to talk to Cody. Kurt pulled up a chair for him and they let him have some time alone.

Once the adults were gone, Zack stared at Cody's chest. He watched it go up and down, as if he were really breathing on his own. He couldn't bear to look at his bloated face. It scared him to see Cody looking different. The bruises and stitches were bad enough.

He sat there, unable to speak, for over an hour until his mom came back into the room.

"Come on, Zack, we're going back upstairs. Dr. Harrison told me that they would bring Cody back up in a little while.

Zack nodded and followed her out of the room. He noticed that her face was white and her teeth were clenched.

"What's wrong?" he asked once they were out of the hall.

"Nothing," she replied quickly.

Zack froze, "Yes there is. I can tell. What are you not telling me?"

Carey looked him in the eyes. Her expression softened. Zack looked so scared. His blue eyes were big, as if they were bursting with questions. He seemed so small in the black sweatshirt he was wearing.

She took a deep breath, "They found him."

Zack blinked, "They found who?"

A tear slid down Carey's cheek, "The driver. The police found him."

Zack felt his mouth drop open, "The guy that hit him?"

Carey draped her arm across his shoulders and walked him to the elevator, "Yeah—him. I'm going downstairs with your dad. I want you to go upstairs to where they are going to take Cody. Can you do that for me? I don't want him to be alone."

Speechless, Zack nodded and the two of them went upstairs.

---

Samantha and Zack were sitting in chairs at opposite ends of an empty hospital bed. Cody was still in the recovery room on the floor below, and Carey and Kurt were talking to Officer Ryan and the PIs.

According to Samantha, the driver who hit Cody was being charged with a Hit and Run.

Zack was glad that they found the guy, but he didn't want to hear anything that the police officers had to say. He did not want to know anything about the man who almost killed his brother.

Samantha twirled her long, silky blonde hair around her index finger. She was trying to think of something to say to Zack to fill up the awkward silence that tainted the room. But she didn't know very much about him. She didn't know very much about twelve year old boys in general. And Kurt didn't really talk about the twins very often. Sometimes Samantha forgot that he even had kids in the first place.

"So," she said, after finally remembering something that Kurt told her, "Your dad told me that you went to math camp this summer."

Zack looked up, "No, that was Cody. I didn't go."

"Oh," she said, surprised, "I assumed both of you went."

He narrowed his eyes, "How did you know about that anyway?"

Samantha gulped and realized that she shouldn't have said anything. Obviously Carey didn't tell her sons that it was _Kurt_ who paid for Cody to go to camp.

"Well," she said as she tried to cover up for her slip, "Your mother lets us know what's going on in your lives every now and then."

_'She does?'_ Zack thought to himself, _'I wish Dad would do the same.'_

He thought about all the birthdays and Christmases when they didn't hear anything from him. _'Why didn't Mom tell me and Cody that she and Dad were still in touch? Why did she let us think that he never cared?'_

Out loud he asked, "How long have you and my Dad known each other?"

"I met him about three years ago. But we've only been together for nine months."

Zack nodded than stared sullenly at the floor.

Once again, Samantha was at a loss for words.

_'What do you say to someone whose brother, and best friend, is on the brink of death?' _she wondered to herself.

"Tell me what it's like to live in a hotel," she blurted out.

"It's good," Zack answered, "There's always something to do there."

"I stayed at the Tipton in Florida once when I was a little girl," Samantha told him, "my dad had to be there for a business convention and he took the whole family. We had to go to these fancy dinners every night. But one day my older sister and I ordered room service without telling our parents. We ordered an elaborate breakfast and silk linen and a few other things that we didn't need. It cost a fortune and when our parents found out what we did they were livid."

A tiny grin formed on Zack's face, "What did they do?"  
"They grounded us for the rest of the vacation," Samantha said with a laugh, "So instead of going out to boring dinners with stuck-up rich people every night, my sister and I stayed at the hotel where we could swim, watch TV, and hangout in the game room."

Zack laughed, "That's what me and Cody do whenever we're grounded."

"Do you guys get into a lot of trouble?" she asked cautiously. She was glad that Zack was talking to her, but she didn't want to upset him by bringing up Cody.

"Oh yeah, we're always in trouble," his voice trailed off a little, "it's usually my fault though."

"I'm sure that's not true," she said gently.

Zack shook his head, "No—it is. Whenever we start trouble it's my idea. Cody just goes along with it. Sometimes I have to trick him into going along with it. And sometimes he gets punished for things that I do that he has nothing to do with," he paused, "he hates that."

His last few words came out in a whisper.

Samantha shook her head, "Cody's old enough to make his own decisions. When he agrees to go along with whatever it is you guys do, it's his own fault—not yours."

"Don't talk about Cody like that," Zack said sharply, "You don't even know him. And it's not his fault that I force him to do things that he doesn't want to do."

Samantha was taken by surprise, "No—Zack, that's not what I meant."

"It's my fault that he gets into trouble, and it's my fault that he might die."

"Don't say that—"

Zack interrupted her, "It's true!" he cried as his eyes filled with tears, "My mom was supposed to pick him up from the library when his meeting was over but she was late so he tried to walk home. But it's my fault that she was late, and now Cody's in a coma. And it's all because I had to be stupid and immature like always."

"You can't blame yourself for this. It was an accident—accidents happen."

Zack swiped the tears away, "I just want him to be okay."

Samantha looked at him. He was starring at her with his pleading blue eyes. He looked so helpless. She got up and walked around the bed and sat on it, facing Zack. She wasn't sure what she should do. She didn't know Zack very well, but he was obviously hurting. He needed to be comforted and reassured, but Samantha couldn't do that. She didn't want to give him false hope. So she did the only thing she could think of.

She hugged him.

For a second his body tensed. Samantha thought he was going to pull away. But he didn't. He leaned his head against his shoulder and wrapped his arms around her neck.

"I know this is hard for you, Zack," she said soothingly. She massaged his back as his body shook.

Zack did not want to cry, but it was so hard holding it in. And for some reason he felt like he could trust Samantha, so he let the tears fall.

"I miss him so much," he sobbed, "It's only been two days but I miss him."

Samantha held him close to her, "Of course you do. Have the two of you ever spent any time apart from each other before?"

"Only that time that Cody went to camp and I stayed home. I missed him then too. I tried to get him to come home early but he didn't want to."

"You obviously care about him a lot," said Samantha.

Zack nodded into her shoulder. He did care about Cody. Even though he didn't always show it, he cared more about Cody than he did anybody else. He only hoped that he would have chance to show him that in the future.

"What's going on?"

Zack and Samantha broke apart and saw Carey standing at the door.

"Are you okay, Zack?" she asked.

"Fine," he said. He wiped the tears off his cheeks with the sleeve of his black shirt.

Carey frowned slightly. Seeing Zack hugging Samantha struck a chord with her. But seeing him crying was much worse. For one thing she hated seeing him upset. But something else about it bugged her even more. Why could he open up to Samantha when he couldn't open up to his own mother?

"They're bringing Cody up right now."

"Where's Kurt?" Samantha asked.

"He's waiting for you in the car," she answered icily.

Samantha stood up and slung her purse over her shoulder, "I'll see you tomorrow, Zack," she said, squeezing his hand.

He looked up and offered a small half smile, 'See you tomorrow," he echoed.

She averted her eyes as she passed Carey, "Bye, Carey," she said shyly.

Carey watched her walk out the door and did not utter a single word.

"What did the detectives say?" Zack asked awkwardly

"They're holding him for now," said Carey, "He's being charged with a Hit and Run, but they won't know the extent of what happens until we get a proper diagnosis on Cody."

"Why not?"

Carey looked at him, "Because he might be charged with something else depending on the outcome."

"I don't get it," Zack said after digesting what she said.

"Well, he might just be charged with a Hit and Run, but he might get charged with Vehicular Homicide."

Zack felt the blood rush from his head, and a wave of dizziness crashed over him. Whenever the possibility of Cody not making it was brought up, Zack would feel light headed. He took a few deep breaths frowned at Carey.

_'Why is she acting so mean,_ he wondered, _'first she was rude to Samantha, and now she's talking about Cody dying again.'_

He was just about to tell her off when the door opened. A few orderlies wheeled Cody in on a stretcher.

Zack watched as they carefully lifted Cody from the stretcher and laid him in the bed. They adjusted the IV and the heart monitor. One of the orderlies tightened the respirator mask to Cody's mouth and another pulled the covers up to his neck.

"Sleep well," one of them said as the group left the room.

Zack noticed that Cody's cheeks were still a little puffy, but the swelling was definitely going down. He was starting to look more like Cody and less like a chipmunk.

Zack sat down in the chair and took Cody's hand. He kissed his forehead and ran his fingers through his soft blonde hair.

"Good night, Cody," he whispered, "thanks for not leaving me."

He leaned back in the chair, and then quickly fell asleep.

--**Cody's Point of View**—

_I'm so afraid. Mom's talking to me, but I still don't understand what's going on. I don't know where I am._

_Zack's with me. I can tell even though he's not saying anything. Mom tells me that Zack's here, but I already know that._

"Hey, Cody."

_Zack? Can you hear me? Where are we? _

_He can't here me._

_He's talking to mom right now. They aren't paying attention to me but that's okay._

_Now they are fighting. I want them to stop. They are making me nervous. STOP FIGHTING! MOM, ZACK, PLEASE STOP!_

_I try to scream, but I can't hear myself. Mom, Zack, I just want you to stop yelling at each other._

_After awhile they do stop. Mom tells me that everything's okay._

_I feel better when she says this, but Zack doesn't. He's sad and upset. He feels like he's trapped, like he's falling._

_He leaves for awhile with mom, but they come back._

_We stay together, just the three of us. I'm happy when they are with me._

_---_

_They leave again. Now I'm alone and scared. It's so dark. Oh, God. I'm nervous. I want them to come back. I want Zack. I hate being by myself._

_---_

_Zack's here again. I want him to talk to me, but he doesn't. It's still better then being alone. Mom's here now too. She says 'hi' to me then we sit silently._

_After awhile Mom leaves again and it's just me and Zack. I think he feels better when it's just the two of us. He's touching my face where it hurts the most. He makes some of the pain go away somehow. _

_Now Mom's back. She tells Zack that she brought someone with her. It's Maddie from the hotel. She says 'hi' to me, but it sounds uncomfortable. _

_Zack leaves me again..._

_...He doesn't come back._

_---_

_I'm alone for a long time. I'm scared and lonely again. When I'm alone everything hurts more. There's nothing to distract me from the pain. My head hurts the most, and my cheek stings and my back is sore. _

_---_

_My Dad comes back. He talks to me. His friend, Samantha, is here too. I don't know her, but she is very nice. She talks to me, but it's hard to understand what she is saying._

_Mom and Zack come back in eventually. Zack seems far away, but I know he's here._

_I listen to Mom, Dad and Samantha. They let me know that they are here for me and that they love me. They tell me to stay strong. _

_I can tell that Zack is nervous. I want to tell him that everything is okay, but he is so far away. I wish it could just be the two of us, but Dad and Mom and Samantha won't leave. _

_All of the sudden there are more people here. They are making my family leave. But I don't want Zack to go yet!_

"WAIT!"

_That was Zack. He says he wants to be alone with me. Everybody leaves._

_Zack holds my hand._

"Hey buddy, it's me. I'm here now"

_I know! Zack, I know that you're with me._

"I'll be waiting for you right here. So don't leave me."

_I won't leave you. You're the one who keeps leaving me! _

_He's crying now. I want to tell him that everything's fine, but I don't know if it will be._

"Everything's going to be fine."

_Somehow he knows what I'm thinking even though we are so far apart. He probably doesn't even realize that he knows that. I don't think that he believes everything's going to be fine, but knowing that we are thinking the same thing makes me feel happy._

"And if it's not fine I just need you to know that I love you."

_I know that... but he sounds scared. I'm starting to feel confused again._

_Zack is crying again, but he's trying really hard to stop. Zack hates to cry because it makes him feel like a baby. I don't even remember the last time he cried. I want to tell him that I don't think that he's a baby._

_He kisses my forehead. He's so close now. I want him to stay with me... wherever I am._

"I don't want to lose you, Cody."

_I don't want to lose you either. I never want to lose you..._

_Zack is getting further away. He's leaving me! Zack, don't leave, please don't leave me!_

_But he does leave me. I am alone again. Alone and scared. _

_People are all around me. They are touching me. I don't know who they are. I don't even know if they are people—are they demons? Am I dead? _

_They are scaring me. I want them to leave me alone so I can be with Zack again. But they won't stop touching me. They take me away..._

_---_

_I feel something prick the back of my hand... I'm really tired. Everything's... going...away..._

_---_

_It's still dark. I'm still scared. Everything hurts except for my chest. It doesn't hurt to breath anymore. _

_I wish that Zack and Mom were here, but I am still alone._

_---_

_Somebody is taking me somewhere. I don't know who it is and I don't know where we're going..._

_So many people are crowded around me. I don't know any of them. At least I don't think I do. Where are Zack and Mom? Or Dad? Or even Samantha—even she would make me feel safe._

_The people are touching me. They are moving me around. I want to trash around to get out of their grasps, but I can't. I can't move._

_I am happy when they finally leave—even though I hate being all by myself._

_But I'm not all by myself. Mom and Zack are here. Zack kisses my forehead and plays with my hair. _

_"_Goodnight, Cody. Thanks for staying with me."

He stays close to me, holding my hand.

He doesn't leave.

I feel safe again.

**To Be Continued…**

**A/N** Please let me know what you think. Thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter twelve!


	14. Losing Hope

_I'm Right Here_ by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer **I do not own _The Suite Life of Zack and Cody_

**Author's Note: **Warning! Boring Chapter! This chapter has two purposes. The first one is that I wanted to develop Samantha and Kurt's relationship as well as them as characters. The second one is to set up the next chapter. Anyways, I hope you like this even though it's a little bit boring. Please let me know what you think about it!

**Chapter Fourteen**

Losing Hope

"_The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart_." –Robert Green Ingersoll

It was still dark when Zack woke up the next morning. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. His mom was asleep in the other chair. The heart monitor was beeping rhythmically and the respirator was hissing. Cody's eyes were still closed.

Zack checked his watch. It was just passed six. This was much earlier than he usually woke up, but the chair was so uncomfortable that he knew that he would not be able to get back to sleep.

He kissed Cody's forehead, then grabbed his toothbrush and a change of clothes from the bag. He went to the communal bathroom and took a shower and got ready to face the day.

---

When Zack returned to the room his mom was just waking up.

"You're up early," she commented.

"So are you."

Carey stood up, "I'm going to get a shower and change my clothes," she told him, "We can get breakfast at eight o'clock when the cafeteria opens."

She left.

Zack squeezed Cody's hand. He wished for the hundredth time that he would be okay. He was thrilled to see that the puffiness in his face had gone down over night. He looked like Cody again even though he still had black eyes and the line of stitches that was still prominent on his pale face. His lip was still busted and his head was still bandaged. But despite all this, Zack noticed that Cody's bruises were lighter than they had been on that first day. And his cuts were healing too.

"I know you're going to be okay, Cody," Zack said out loud.

---

Samantha and Kurt pulled up to the hospital parking lot in Kurt's red Saturn. They were tired. They did not leave the hospital the night before until just after midnight. Once they got to the Tipton they talked to the manager, Mr. Moseby. Apparently, he knew Carey and the twins very well, so Kurt and Samantha told him everything they could about Cody and how he was doing. They did not get to sleep until after two in the morning.

"How long are you planning on staying here, Kurt?"

Kurt looked up as he put the car in park, "until tonight."

"No," Samantha said as she picked up her purse from the floor, "I mean how long are you planning on staying in Boston?"  
He sighed and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel.

"I don't know, babe," he said, "The office gave me the week off, but I might have to stay longer depending on what happens."

He opened the door, "Come on," he said, "Let's get up there."

Samantha followed him with her head bowed. She was worried about Cody too even though she didn't know him. He was important to Kurt and Kurt was important to her. She loved Kurt and she knew that Kurt loved her. But in the past few days she wasn't so sure that she could trust him—not when he was around Carey at least.

And Samantha knew that she would not be able to stay in Boston much longer. She would have to get back to her own job. But she did not want to leave Kurt in Boston when he would be alone with his ex-wife at all times.

---

"How is he?" Kurt asked as he and Samantha walked into Cody's hospital room.

Carey and Zack were sitting by the bed. Nurse Robin was changing Cody's bandage.

"Still no changes," said Carey.

Zack cringed as he watched the nurse unwrap the bandage from around his brother's head. He could not help but be reminded of a TV special that he and Cody watched a few nights earlier. It was about mummies being unwrapped. Zack did not want to watch it. He thought it was boring—too educational for his taste. But he watched it anyway because Cody wanted to.

_'That was probably the first nice thing I did for Cody for a long time,'_ Zack realized sadly, _'I hope it doesn't have to be the last_…_'_

Without the bandage, Zack could clearly see Cody's injury. They sewed up where his skull had cracked, and they cleaned the blood out of his hair, but there was dried blood where the doctors shaved his head for the surgery. It looked bad.

However, he was glad to see that the new bandage was clean. The old one had brown streaks of dried blood. The new one was perfectly white.

"I don't know how you can do that," Carey said lightly, "Just the sight of blood makes me queasy."

"Hazards of the trade," Nurse Robin grinned, "the blood and needles bothered me at first, but I'm used to it all now. Nothing shocks me anymore."

"It's the stitches that I can't stand," Samantha spoke up, "When I was in high school I fell on the sidewalk and had to get stitches in my knee. I practically fainted when I had to get them taken out."

Carey nodded in understanding, "It's been bad enough watching this. I don't think I'll be able to handle being in the room when they take out the stitches."

"When are they doing that?"

Carey's small smile faltered. The light conversation quickly became heavy as they were reminded of the seriousness of the situation.

"The ones in his cheek come out in a month. Six weeks for the ones in his forehead and two weeks after that thy can take out the ones in the back of his head."

Nurse Robin finished changing Cody's bandages. She said goodbye to the Martins and told hem she would be back at around one o'clock.

"Dr. Harrison is going to meet with us before lunch," Carey said to Kurt and Samantha, "they are going to take more x-rays to see if Cody's brain is still swelling. And they are going to see if his GCS is any higher than it was before the two surgeries.

Although the 'coma lingo' confused Zack at first, he understood everything that his mom just said because Dr. Harrison explained it all to him when he was there earlier. 'GCS' stood for Glasgow Coma Scale. The numbers were based on the responsiveness of the coma patient. Before his operations, Cody had a GCS of eight which, according to the chart, was not very good. But Cody seemed to be more alert when his he and his mom were there with him, and sometimes he would respond to different sounds.

Zack did not know what to expect from the meeting with Dr. Harrison. The meetings that they had been having with the doctors in the past two days had not exactly been enjoyable. Dr. Harrison never seemed to have any truly good news to deliver. Both of the operations had been very successful, but Cody was _still_ in a coma.

Zack hated to admit it to himself, but after two days of bad news, he was beginning to lose hope.

To Be Continued

**A/N** There you go. I hope you liked it… let me know if you didn't (and if you did). How do you do this? By reviewing, of course : )

**Up next: Chapter Fifteen: Just Breathe**


	15. Just Breathe

_I'm Right Here_ by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer **I do not own _The Suite Life of Zack and Cody_

**Author's Note** This chapter was particularly exhausting to write because I do not speak doctor, so I had to fake it. The 'medical jargon' (how intelligent do I sound?) is brought to you by _Grey's Anatomy_, _The Discovery Health Channel_, and a bunch of tapes of the older episodes of _ER. _The information is brought to you by the websites that I googled:) On to chapter 15…

**Chapter 15**

Just Breathe

_The miracle is this - the more we share, the more we have. _--Leonard Nimoy

Carey, Kurt, Samantha, and Zack took the elevator downstairs to meet with Dr. Harrison and Dr. Burke. They just finished taking Cody's latest x-rays and now it was time to see if he was making any improvements or if anything was getting worse.

The four of them settled down in the x-ray room. A few minutes later, the two doctors walked in carrying their stuffed portfolios.

"Good morning," said Dr. Burke, "Are you guys doing okay?"

They made their way through small talk, and then got down to business.

"Well we have some good news and some bad news," Dr. Harrison said. He pulled one of the scans out of his portfolio, "The swelling of his brain is starting to go down. We are not going to have to extract a portion of his skull. That's the good news."

Zack shifted in his seat. His stomach hurt. Why couldn't the doctors just tell him that everything would be okay? Stifling a sigh, he braced himself for the bad news and tried not to faint… again.

"We ran some tests to check his responsiveness to different stimuli, but there have not been many changes. To be honest, he is getting worse."

"How is he getting worse?" Carey asked, "I thought your job was to make him better!"

"We are doing everything we can to save your son," Dr. Burke said sincerely, "In certain aspects of his condition he has improved vastly. His injuries are healing, and as we speak he is being taken off the respirator. But unfortunately, he is not doing so well in other areas."

"He is still almost completely unresponsive," said Dr. Harrison, "When he first came in he responded to touch, but he does not do that anymore. He is not responding to noise anymore either. In fact, the only time there seems to be any advanced brain activity at all is when the four of you are with him. Particularly," he paused and looked at Zack, "When his brother is close by."

Everyone looked at Zack for a second.

"What does this all mean for Cody?" asked Kurt.

Dr. Harrison sighed sadly, "It means that the odds of him coming out of the coma without severe brain damage are very low."

"You—you mean the memory loss you were telling us about and… well, stuff like that, right?" Carey stammered.

"We're afraid not," said Dr. Burke, "It is more serious than that. If Cody emerges from the coma there is a chance that he will be in a persistent vegetative state. To put it bluntly, he will not be able to walk or talk or even feed himself. It will be as if he never came out in the first place. He will be confined to a bed, and in need of constant medical care for the rest of his life."

---

Zack absentmindedly stirred his bowl of vegetable soup. He watched the potato chunks float next to the broccoli. All of the vegetables blended together, creating an aroma that wafted up to his nose. The food smelled delicious. Tapeworm's mother, Mrs. Lloyd, brought vegetable soup and bread rolls to the hospital at noon. Even though the meal she cooked smelled good, Zack was not hungry.

He could not stop thinking about what the doctors said about Cody. The thought that he might never talk to Cody again was unbearable.

"You should eat," said Carey, who was sitting next to him, "You have been looking sort of weak. You really need to build your strength back up."

He shoved a spoonful of soup into his mouth. He swallowed and felt it slide down his throat. He felt sick and the food was making it worse. He took a few more bites to please his mother, then got out of his chair.

"I'm going upstairs," he announced.

He walked out of the hospital cafeteria. The cafeteria was very big—bigger than the cafeteria at his school. But Zack noticed that unlike at his school, most of the people in the hospital looked very sick. And some of them were seriously injured. After spending two and a half days in the hospital, Zack was getting used to shocking images. At first, seeing people in wheelchairs, and seeing people with missing limbs and people who were bald, or were unnaturally skinny sort of scared him. But now it was normal. It was just another part of his life… and depending on Cody's outcome; Zack could be seeing such things everyday for the rest of his life.

---

When Zack entered Cody's room, Dr. Harrison was in there with another doctor. Zack recognized the other guy; he was the one who told him and the others that Cody was out of surgery the night before.

"Hello, Zack," said Dr. Harrison, "You have met Dr. Roth, correct?"

"Yeah," Zack replied, "What's going on? Is something wrong with my brother?"  
"Actually, we are about to unhook the respirator to see if he can breathe on his own," he explained, "I just sent his nurse, Chelsea, down to the lunch room to get you and your family. You must have walked right past each other without even realizing it."  
Carey, Kurt, and Samantha arrived a few minutes later with Chelsea. They settled into their designated places around Cody's bed. Zack and Carey were on one side and Samantha and Kurt were on the other.

"There are wires suctioned to Cody's chest," Dr. Roth told them, "They are connected to a beeper. If Cody stops breathing at any time for fifteen seconds, the beeper will go off and somebody will rush in to reconnect Cody to the respirator. They may also have to administer CPR." He looked at the group, "Is everyone ready?"  
Zack stared at Cody's face. He could hear Dr. Roth unplugging the respirator. He lifted the mask from this mouth and they waited.

For a few seconds, nothing happened. Cody remained completely still. No oxygen was getting to his lungs, which meant that it wasn't getting to his brain.

_'Please breathe, Cody,'_ Zack prayed silently. He gave Cody's hand a squeeze.

At once, Cody inhaled deeply. Then he let out a jagged sigh. It continued this way for awhile, until his breathing evened out.

"This is a good sign," said Dr. Harrison. A hint of a smile was playing on his lips, "I know that the news that we gave you this morning was discouraging, but don't lose hope. It's still possible for Cody to pull though."

Zack was not listening to a word that Dr. Harrison was saying. He could not tear his eyes away from Cody's face. It was the first time he was seeing Cody's entire face for almost three days. He knew that the mask had been taken off a few times so the nurses could keep Cody's teeth and the inside of his mouth clean, but Zack was never in the room when that happened. But now he was really seeing him. There was a thin tube above Cody's lips that had extensions in his nostrils to help him breath clearly. But besides that, he looked just like he was sleeping—after being beaten up in a fight or something.

For a little while it was just the five of them, but at one o'clock Nurse Robin came back just as she said she would.

She smiled when she walked in, "I didn't know that they took him off the respirator."

Carey returned the smile, "Yeah, they did it just a little while ago."

"Well he looks great," said Robin, "this is the healthiest looking that I've seen him."

Kurt stood up, "Samantha and I are going to go out for awhile," he told them, "To see something other than the hospital, "Do you two want to come with us?"

"Actually, I have to make a lot of phone calls," Carey told him, "But Zack, you can go."

"No thanks," said Zack, "I am going to stay here with Cody."

"Why don't you go with them, Zack," said Carey, "You haven't left the hospital in almost three days. And Robin is going to need some space right now."

"Oh, I really don't mind if he stays," Robin said to her, "He's no trouble."

Carey shrugged. She wanted Zack to take some time away from the hospital, but he obviously didn't want to leave.

"Well, I'll be back up here in about an hour," she said, picking up her purse from the chair. She walked out the door. Samantha and Kurt did the same thing after saying goodbye to Zack and Robin.

When they were gone, Robin pulled the sheets down from Cody's bed.

Zack shuddered. His brother was laying there with nothing but his hospital gown on. He looked so vulnerable and exposed.

She looked at Zack, "Since you're here, would you mind holding his head in place?"

"Yeah," Zack replied, standing up, "Yeah, I can do that."

H was happy that he had a chance to actually help Cody with something, instead of just sitting beside his bed and trying as hard as he could not to cry.

"Thanks," said Robin, "Here's what you do: Just stand here and put you hands on the sides of his head. Just keep them there; you don't actually have to hold on to him. This prevents his head from lulling from side to side."

Zack did what she told him to do, and watched her as she exercised Cody's arms and legs.

She slid her hand under Cody's calve and placed her other hand on top of his thigh. She bent his knee back and then straightened his leg in a forty-five degree angle. She did this over and over again for about ten minutes. After that, she did the same thing to his other leg.

Cody winced when Robin bent his knee back.

"Stop," Zack said when he saw Cody's face, "You're hurting him"

Robin looked up and smiled softly, "Dr. Roth told me that he was not responding

to pain. I'll have to tell him about this once I'm finished.

She was careful to be more gentle so that she did not hurt Cody.

When Robin finished stretching Cody's legs she moved to his arms.

"Do you want me to teach you how to do this?" Robin asked Zack.

"Yeah," Zack answered eagerly, "Why do you have to do that stuff to him anyways?"

"We have to stretch his arms and legs for him so his joints don't tighten up." Robin explained, "It might hurt a little at first, but it is important."  
She picked up Cody's arm and did pretty much the same thing that she did with his legs. She bent his elbow and moved his arm back and forward, "It's really easy," she said to Zack, "You need to be gentle, but at the same time you have to make sure that his muscles get the stretch that they need. Do you want to stretch his other arm for him?"

Zack nodded. Robin held Cody's head and Zack picked up his arm.

Holding his arm gave Zack a weird feeling. It was nothing but dead weight. Zack stared at his brother, his eyes growing wide.

_'He's not there," _Zack realized, feeling sick to his stomach, _'Whatever it was that made him Cody... it's gone. It's like he's dead already. Oh, God, Cody...—"_

"Are you okay?"

Zack snapped out of his trance and looked up. Tears stung his eyes, "Fine. I'm fine…it's just… never mind.""

A blush crept across his cheeks. He tried not to think about it.

_'It's okay;'_ he told himself _'Cody _is_ in there. He has to be. Where else would he be?'_

He shook his head and concentrated on doing what Robin showed him. After a minute of stretching, Cody's eyebrows knitted together and he moaned softly.

Zack froze. A single tear slid down his cheek as he reveled in the sound of Cody's voice.

After that he tried to be gentler. He did not want anyone—including himself—to hurt Cody.

"I have to turn him onto his side now," Robin said after Zack was finished, "That's so he does not get bedsores. Do you want me to show you how to do that too?"

Zack nodded and wiped away the tear. He wanted to be able to help Cody in anyway that he could.

Robin placed a small sponge-like pillow next to Cody's head, and carefully rolled him onto his side.

"You're really good at all this," Robin told Zack after he helped her turn Cody back to his original position, "Have you ever considered becoming a doctor when you grow up?"

Zack shook his head, "No. Cody's the smart one," he said.

She smiled at him for what seemed like the millionth time, "Well it's good that you're learning to help with the exercises. Your parents both said that they wanted to learn how to do them too."  
Zack frowned, "I have a question. Why do we need to learn how to do the exercises when you and the other nurses do them for him everyday?"

"Well, we will do the stretches for him once every other day, which is all that is needed to keep the joints from getting stiff. But exercise is good for everyone—that includes coma patients. A lot of times the family members and good friends like to do the exercises for them for some extra help. And sometimes they take over and us nurses don't have to do it for them anymore."

"Do you think Cody's going to live?" Zack asked suddenly.

Robin looked surprised, "Um, the doctors are doing everything that they can."

"I know," Zack interrupted, 'But you work with a lot of coma patients, right? Do most of them who are like Cody live or die?"

"It is different with every individual person," she said, obviously avoiding answering the extremely blunt question, "the important thing is to make sure that you keep a positive attitude around Cody. Let him know that you love him and that you want him to wake up. And do not forget that miracles can happen."

**To Be Continued**

**A/N **Oh my goodness, I can't believe that this is halfway over! Thanks to everyone who has been reading it, especially those of you who have been reading all the way back in September. I just started writing my next fan fiction story which is called **Blood in the Bathroom. **I am having so much fun writing it that part of me wants to stop posting this and just start posting my new one, but that won't happen—I put way too much time and work into this story to just stop, and I love everyone who reviewed, so yeah. I guess that's all I have to say. Please review : )

**Up Next: Chapter 16 The Love of Family…**


	16. The Love of Family

_I'm Right Here_ by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer **I do not own _The Suite Life of Zack and Cody_

**Author's Note **For once, I have nothing to say…

**Chapter 16**

The Love of Family…

_Families are like fudge... mostly sweet with a few nuts._ -Unknown

"Excuse me, miss, how much do those candy bars cost? … Miss?"

Maddie looked up, feeling sort of dazed, "I'm sorry," she said, "but what did you say?"

The woman in front of her smiled kindly, "I'd like to buy a chocolate bar for my grandson," she said with a thick English accent. She motioned to the little boy beside her, "How much do they cost?"

"Um… they're…" Maddie's mind went blank. She quickly glanced at the price chart by the cash register.

There, in bold black letters it said '**CANDY BARS…$1.50**'

"They're a dollar fifty," she said, "No wait—" she punched a few numbers into the calculator, "I forgot sales tax. They're a dollar and fifty nine cents. No—wait again, let me start over." She took a deep breath, "Can I help you?"  
The lady peered into Maddie's eyes. She felt sympathetic towards her. She looked tired and a bit frazzled.

"Just one Hershey Bar, dear," she said patiently.

Maddie grabbed a Hershey Bar off the shelf and handed it to the woman, "That will be one fifty nine," she said quietly.

She felt tears sting her eyes as she watched the lady dig through her Coach handbag. She was not having a good day—or a good week for that matter. She had not been at work that long. She just got there an hour earlier. But she came right after a long day at school. And now that she was at work she kept zoning out and making stupid mistakes.

The lady pulled two crisp dollar bills out of her wallet and handed them to Maddie.

"Thank you," she said after sliding the money into the cash register, "Have a nice day."

"Don't I get change?" the lady asked.

"Oh, yes!" Maddie said, opening the cash register, "I'm so sorry."

She counted out the lady's change and gave it to her.

"Enjoy your stay at the Tipton," she said, trying to keep the exasperation out of her voice.

She watched as the lady and her grandson walked away. Maddie was extremely grateful that they were nice to her. Earlier that day, a woman told her off for giving her a camera when she asked for film.

Maddie took a few deep breaths and tried to calm down. With every mistake she made, she became a little more frustrated with herself. And the more frustrated she got, the more on edge she became. This made her preoccupied with her thoughts, which in turn made her careless. And her carelessness caused more mistakes. It was a huge, endless cycle.

"You doing okay?"

Maddie looked up. Chuck, a waiter at the restaurant in the Tipton, was standing in front of her.

She tried to smile, but it didn't happen. "I didn't get a lot of sleep last night," she told him.

"You baby-sit for Carey's kids, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, Zack and Cody. Cody's the one in…" her voice trailed off.

"The hospital," he finished for her.

Maddie nodded. She was glad he didn't say the dreaded C word.

"I'm really worried about him," she confided, "I went to see him at the hospital yesterday and he looked horrible. I lonely stayed for a few minutes though. I think I'm going to go back after work. I've been going crazy worrying about him so much."

"If you want, I can drive you there."

"That would be great," said Maddie, who dreaded taking cabs at night, "I get off work at eight o'clock."

"I'll see you then."

---

Carey was pacing at the hospital entrance. She was waiting for her parents to arrive. Kurt and Samantha still had not returned, and Zack was still with Cody.

It was cold outside and Carey did not have a jacket with her. She was wearing the thin baby blue blouse and jeans that she had been wearing all day. It was a little windy, and the breeze caused her skin to break out in goose bumps. She couldn't wait for her parents to arrive so she could go back inside the warm hospital.

At last, a red Honda pulled into the parking lot.

Carey watched as her mother and father quickly got out of the car and hurried over to where she was standing.

"Oh, Carey," cried her mother, Lydia, "I'm so sorry we couldn't get here sooner." She threw her arms around her.

Carey closed her eyes and rested her head on Lydia's shoulder. She had forgotten that no matter how old she was, her mother's hug could make her feel safe.

"How's Cody doing?" asked her father, David.

"Not good," said Carey, "The doctors think he might remain in a persistent vegetative state."

David and Lydia exchanged somber glances.

"What about Zack?" asked Lydia, "How is he dealing with this?"

Carey shook her head, "We can't even talk to each other without one of us getting angry with the other."

"This must be hard on him," Lydia told her softly, "Cody's his best friend."

"Come on," Carey said, "I'll take you up to see them."

---

Zack was asleep in Cody's hospital room. He was sitting in his designated chair, with his elbows resting on the edge of Cody's bed. He was holding his head up with his hand.

When his mom and his grandparents walked in, he did not even stir.

David and Lydia stood at the opposite side of Cody's bed.

"Poor child," Lydia whispered. She bent down and kissed his forehead.

Carey walked over to Zack's side of the bed and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Zack?" she whispered quietly as she shook him awake.

"Hmm?" he mumbled softly. His eyes remained closed.

"Zack, wake up," she said, "Grandma and Grandpa are here."

He sat up in his chair and sleepily rubbed his eyes. He looked at his grandparents and stifled a yawn, "Hi," he said.

"How are you, Zack?" asked David.

Zack shrugged, "I'm okay."

Carey glanced at her watch and saw that it was already past six o'clock, "Oh, Zack, I almost forgot. You need to take your pain killers."

"Pain killers?" Lydia repeated.

"He has a concussion," Carey explained. She told them about what happened the day before when he passed out in the cafeteria."

Lydia stared at them in disbelief, "Carey, how have you been managing this all on your own?"

Carey gave Zack his pills, "Well, Kurt has been helping too."

"And where is Kurt now?" David asked. There was an edge to his voice.

"He went out with his girlfriend. Actually, I thought he would have been back by now."

"Big surprise there," Lydia muttered angrily.

David smirked, "Do you remember what happened last time you said 'I thought he would have been back by now' when you were talking about Kurt, Carey?"

Carey sighed, "Look, I know how you guys feel about him. And to tell you the truth, your opinion of him is not that far off from mine. He hasn't been a good father, or a good husband… or a good ex-husband if there is such a thing. But he's trying now. And he's been there for us for the past few days."

"The past few days, Carey?" Lydia asked incredulously, "What about the past few _years_? When he acted as though you and the boys did not even exist! Are you just going to forgive and forget?"

"Of course not," Carey said defensively, "But…" she looked at Cody, then at Zack. He was staring at her with a look of sadness in his crystal blue eyes, "Can we talk about this later?"

Lydia sighed, "Yes," she said understandably, "I'm sorry I got all worked up. I just don't want to you guys get hurt again. Your family has already been through so much, Carey."

Carey pulled up some chairs for her parents, and they sat around Cody's bed. They pushed the argument about Kurt out of their minds and silently prayed for Cody to wake up.

---

It was almost six thirty when Kurt and Samantha returned to the hospital. They had been gone for almost five hours. Neither of them meant to stay out for that long. They went to the mall and the art museum, and time flew by. It felt good to get away from the hospital, but once they returned, that feeling of dread had settled back into the pits of their stomachs.

"Carey would have called me if something happened, right?" Kurt asked nervously as they took the elevator to Cody's floor.

"Of course she would have," said Samantha, "Stop worrying. I'm sure nothing happened while we were gone."

"You're right," said Kurt, trying to assure himself, "Everything is fine."

The elevator stopped and they got out. Hand in hand, they walked down the hall to Cody's room.

Kurt took a peek inside before entering. What he saw was almost as bad as what he had been dreading moments before.

"Oh no," he muttered.

"What is it?" asked Samantha.

Kurt looked at her with a sour expression on his face, "It's not Cody… he looks fine," he stammered.

"Then what are you so upset about?"

"It's my ex-mother-in-law."

**To Be Continued**

**A/N** Please review : )

**Up Next: Chapter 17 … And of Friendship**


	17. And of Friendship

_I'm Right Here_ by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer **I do not own _The Suite Life of Zack and Cody_

**Author's Note **Oh my goodness… 300 reviews. That made me smile :D Thank you so, so much to everyone who reviewed! Anyways, Happy Friday! On to Chapter 17!

**Author's Note part 2 **Okay. Here's the deal. I typed this up Friday afternoon. I went to upload it, but the once I got on the internet, my computer kept freezing. So I gave up. On Saturday the computer wasn't freezing anymore, but every time I tried to upload this on the document manager I got a message saying either that there was a time out or that there was an error processing my request. The same thing was happening on Sunday and earlier today. I tried again a few minutes ago, and it finally worked. Yay. I am celebrating now:) So yeah, sorry about the wait, but for once it really wasn't my fault : )

**Chapter 17**

... And of Friendship

"_It would probably be a waterfall" _–River Phoenix

Kurt and Samantha braced themselves as they walked into Cody's room.

"We're back," Kurt announced.

David and Lydia stood up and scowled.

"Hello, David," he said nervously, "And Lydia, hello. It's uh, it's been awhile." He held his hand out for them to shake.

Both David and Lydia looked at his hand with disdain.

"Yes," David said sharply, it's been what, five—maybe six years now?"

"More like two," Kurt answered dryly.

"Oh, only two," David repeated, "Well that's definitely not as bad, is it?"

"Look, David, I know I've made some mistakes but—"

"But now that your son is in a coma you're trying to make up for them."

Carey stood up, "Dad, Kurt, stop," she pleaded.

"I can't do that, Carey," said David, "I'm not going to just stand by and let Kurt hurt you and the boys again."

"I don't want to hurt anyone. I never meant to hurt anyone," said Kurt.

Zack shook his head as he watched his dad and his grandfather go at it. His mom and grandma were meekly trying to get them to stop fighting, but it was not working. Nobody was paying attention to him and Cody, and he didn't mind. Not at all—but he really wished that they would just act like grownups.

Cody groaned in discomfort. Zack squeezed his hand and kissed his forehead. He ran his fingers through Cody's hair.

"Shh," he whispered soothingly, "Everything's okay, Cody."

Cody started mumbling incoherently. Zack tried not to get excited about it. Dr. Harrison told them that Cody might do that. But he could not make out any words. Whatever he said sounded like: "Em cant hood in. Emming her two muh. Eye luh vooze ack."

Nobody else heard Cody. They were too busy yelling.

Zack stroked Cody's hair and whispered, "It's alright," over and over again.

After a minute he looked up. His dad and grandfather were still shouting. His mom and grandma were still trying to get them to stop. Samantha was looking at Cody with a very worried expression on her face.

"Carey's the best thing that ever happened to you!" said David.

"Dad, please don't do this right now!"

"I screwed up, I'm admitting it!" Kurt shouted.

"Like hell you did!"

"David! Can you two please calm down?" Lydia interjected.

Samantha shook her head and stepped between the feuding adults.

"Listen," she said forcefully, "I know that you all aren't exactly fond of each other, but can you please lower your voices? All of the negativity you are projecting is bad for Cody."

Everyone stopped shouting and stared at Samantha. Everyone had a different look on their face. Carey looked appalled. Kurt looked proud. Lydia looked ashamed, and David looked confused.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked crassly.

"This is Samantha," Kurt said as he put his arm around her, "my girlfriend."

"Samantha's right," Carey said stubbornly, "If you're going to argue you're going to have to take it outside. You can only say positive things around Cody."

"Oh, they're finished fighting," Lydia said as if she were speaking about children.

"Good," said Carey, "Kurt, there are more chairs if you and Samantha want to sit with us." She returned to her chair without making eye contact with Samantha. She did not want to look at her. How dare that woman speak to her and her family like that? And about her own son too—it was very rude. However, it was very necessary… but Carey hated to admit that.

Lydia looked at Samantha. She did not like her—she made her feel stupid for joining in on the fuss. But despite her embarrassment and her loyalty to Carey, Lydia could not deny that the girl had spunk.

---

At seven o'clock, Zack, Carey, and the grandparents went down to the cafeteria for dinner. Samantha and Kurt ate while they were out, so they stayed with Cody. Mrs. Lloyd was already down there with a tray of lasagna and garlic bread. She was not alone. Max and Tapeworm were sitting silently as she unpacked the food.

"Hello," Mrs. Lloyd said warmly as the group approached her, "How's Cody doing?"

"No changes," Carey replied as she and everyone else sat down.

Mrs. Lloyd sighed, "That's too bad. I hope you don't mind that I brought these two," she said, motioning to Max and Tapeworm, "Christopher has been begging me to bring him to visit Cody. And I know that Maxine really wanted to see him too."

Zack did a double take. Then he realized that 'Christopher' was Tapeworm and 'Maxine' was Max.

_'It's good that I know the names of my own friends,'_ he thought sarcastically.

"I don't mind at all," said Carey, "It would be good for Cody to have more visitors. It'll give him more of a reason to wake up. But they can't go in without an immediate family member, so we'll have to wait until after supper."

"I can take them to see Cody right now," Zack offered.

"I want you to eat something first," Carey said sternly, "you skipped breakfast this morning and you hardly touched your lunch."

Zack reluctantly sat down and accepted the plate of food that Mrs. Lloyd handed him. He mumbled a small thank you, and forced himself to eat.

Carey introduced Mrs. Lloyd to her parents, and the adults talked as they ate. After the scene they caused in Cody's room, it amazed Zack how civilized they were acting now that Kurt was out of the picture.

"Are you okay?"

Zack looked up. Max and Tapeworm were sitting across from him, looking worried.

"Are you okay?" Max repeated.

"Yeah," Zack lied, "I'm fine."

He absently scooped some lasagna onto his fork.

"We're really sorry about Cody." She said.

Zack froze with his fork halfway in his mouth, "Why are you sorry?" he asked irritably, pulling it out, "It's not like he's dead. And it's not like he's _going_ to die. There's nothing to be sorry about."

"I know!" Max said quickly, "I didn't mean it like that."

"Whatever," Zack replied. He shoved the fork into his mouth.

Neither Max nor Tapeworm tried to talk to him again until he finished his dinner.

When he did get finished he was feeling a little bit better. His mom had been right about him needing to eat. Zack didn't mean to snap at Max. It just happened.

They said goodbye to the adults then went upstairs.

When they got in the elevator Tapeworm asked, "Does Cody look better than—you know… how he looked after the accident?"

"What do you mean?" Zack asked.

"Mrs. King told us that his face was all covered with blood after the car hit him. Does he have, like, scars?"

"He has a lot of cuts on his face," Zack said, "And some bruises—there are bruises under his eyes. He has this huge gash in his cheek, but they have him stitches. And he has a scar towards the back of his head, but his bandage covers it."

The elevator stopped and they got out. As they walked down the hall, Zack told them how to behave around Cody.

"The doctors said that Cody might be able to hear us, so we can't say anything bad or sad. We can only say positive things."

"How can he hear us if he's unconscious?" Max asked.

"He's not unconscious," said Zack, "he's in a coma. He's mostly unresponsive but he knows when people are with him."

Max stared at Zack. She was impressed. Usually he was silly and immature. But he was taking this very seriously. He even knew what he was talking about as he explained the whole coma thing.

_'He must really love Cody a lot,'_ Max thought to herself.

Zack stopped in front of a door, "This is Cody's room," he said, "are you guys ready?"

Max and Tapeworm nodded solemnly, and then followed him inside.

---

After Carey left with her parents and Zack, it was only Kurt, Samantha, and of course, Cody.

"Thanks for getting us to shut up," Kurt said, "I don't know what got into me."

Samantha smiled, "I don't think Carey was too happy with me."

"She doesn't like to be showed up," Kurt said, "But somebody had to stop us," he lowered his voice, "I can't believe I let things get so out of hand."

"It's okay," said Samantha, "I'm sure it didn't cause any lasting damage."

Kurt looked at Cody, "I hope not."

Samantha stood up, "I'm going to go outside. I want to call the office and tell them that I might be away for a few extra days. And I need to tell Nicole so she knows to get our mail and all that fun stuff." She kissed him, "I'll be back."

Kurt watched her go. He could tell that she chose that moment to leave so that he could be alone with Cody, and for that he was grateful. He knew that he was sort of late, but he wanted to be able to have a relationship with both of his sons. He could not get Zack alone so they could talk father to son, because Zack would not leave Cody unless Carey forced him to. But now _he_ was alone with Cody, and Cody was not going anywhere.

"Hi, Cody," Kurt said, "It's your dad again. It's just you and me right now. Zack and your mom are downstairs, but they'll be back soon. So will your grandparents and Samantha."

He groaned and buried his face in his hands. Every time he talked to Cody he could not find anything of substance to say. He would say "Hi, Cody," then tell him who it was—that was pretty much how everyone started talking to him. But Kurt did not want to just make small talk. There were some things he wanted to tell Cody. Although he could not be sure Cody could hear him, it was important to him that he tell him what he and Zack meant to him.

Kurt slid his hand next to Cody's and let their fingers intertwine, then he took a deep breath.

"Okay, Cody, I know I haven't been there for you and Zack. It's just—your mom. It's not her fault though. The two of us just don't get along anymore. But I still," he coughed, "I still love you and Zack. I—I wish I could have been a bigger part of your lives. I promise, we'll figure something out. I'll visit you guys and you and Zack can come to Michigan sometimes. If you want to, that is. I'm not going to disappear again."

He gave Cody a kiss on the cheek, 'Things will get better."

After that he did not say anything else. He just sat there and held Cody's hand, hoping that there would be a miracle—that Cody would wake up without any memory loss or brain damage. He silently prayed that he would still have a chance to get to know both of his sons.

A little while later the door opened. Kurt looked up, expecting to see Samantha. But instead he saw Zack and two other kids who he had never seen before.

Zack looked at him, "This is my father," he told his friends, "Dad, this is Max and Tapeworm."

_'Max and _Tapeworm_?'_ Kurt thought incredulously, _'what kind of a nickname is Tapeworm? Especially for a girl?'_

"Hi," he said, trying to hide a smile.

Zack went to the head of Cody's bed and touched his face, "Hey, Cody," he said softly. He moved his thumb up and down, massaging Cody's cheek, "Max and Tapeworm are here to see you."

Max and Tapeworm exchanged nervous glances, then walked closer to the bed.

"Hi, Cody," Tapeworm said quietly.

Zack looked at Max expectantly, waiting for her to say something. But she wasn't even looking at Cody. She was starring at the floor, breathing heavily.

"Max?" Tapeworm asked gently, "Are you okay?"

She looked up, here eyes wide, "yeah… I-uh…" her voice trailed off and she let her gaze travel to Cody's face.

"Max?"

She didn't answer him. Her hands began to shake.

Tapeworm placed his hand on her shoulder, "Max?" he asked urgently, "Max!"

Zack and Kurt went to her.

"Have her sit down," Kurt instructed, "Zack, get her some water."

He spoke in a calm voice to keep the boys from panicking. He tried to keep the surprise that the _girl _was named Max out of his voice.

_'At least that's better than Tapeworm,'_ he thought.

Before Zack had a chance to get the water, Max snapped out of her trance.

"You should sit down," said Tapeworm.

Max took a step back, "No. I'm fine, I just… I just…"

She turned around and bolted for the door, leaving Zack, Tapeworm, and Kurt starring in shock.

**To Be Continued**

**A/N** If anyone could figure out what Cody said while the adults were fighting, you get a prize… but you won't find out until chapter nineteen. Anyways, thanks so much for all the reviews! Please let me know what you thought about chapter seventeen!

**Up Next: Chapter 18 Precious Moments **


	18. Precious Moments

_I'm Right Here_ by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer **I do not own _The Suite Life of Zack and Cody_

**Author's Note: **This chapter is brought to you by the powers of insomnia. It's not my favorite chapter. I'm not a "shipper" so to speak, but I thought the story needed at least a hint of romance so… yeah. And it's not really romance unless you interpret that way. It could also be interpreted as friendship. Also, you might want to reread Chapter 10 because this chapter ties back to that one. This one is long, I hope you everyone likes it. Let me know what you think!

**Chapter 18**

Precious Moments

'_The Moments of Happiness… we had the experience but missed the meaning. And approach to the meaning restores the experience in a different form, beyond any meaning we can assign to happiness . . .' –_Cats

Once they finished their dinner, Carey and Mrs. Lloyd went upstairs. Lydia and David, who had checked in to a nearby motel, left the hospital moments before. "So there haven't been any changes at all?" Mrs. Lloyd asked as they stepped out of the elevator.

Carey sighed sadly, "Dr. Harrison—that's Cody's doctor—he said that Cody might have brain damage if… _when_ he wakes up. Or there's a chance that he'll remain in a persistent vegetative state. That means he would be the way he is now for the rest of his life."

Mrs. Lloyd stared at her, "Oh, Carey, I'm so sorry."

Tears filled Carey's eyes, "But he might be fine. He could wake up tomorrow and everything could be fine."

They rounded a corner and saw Max standing by Cody's door. She was leaning against the wall with her eyes closed. Her cheeks were pale and she was shaking.

Carey and Mrs. Lloyd hurried toward her.

"Max, sweetie, are you alright?" asked Carey, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Max said softly, "I'm fine. I just needed some fresh air."

Carey smoothed Max's hair, "Well if you're okay now do you want to go back into Cody's room with us?"

"No!" she blurted out. She blushed, "I mean no thank you. I—I can't see Cody right now. Not like this."

Carey and Mrs. Lloyd nodded in understanding.

"I'll go get Christopher," Mrs. Lloyd said gently, "I should get you back to your house. You two have school tomorrow."

But just as she said this, Tapeworm emerged from Cody's room.

"Max, what's the matter?" he asked. His eyes were clouded over.

"She's fine, honey," Mrs. Lloyd said as she put her arm around Max's shoulders, "But I think it's time for us to go."

"Thank you guys for visiting Cody," said Carey, "And than you for bringing us lunch and dinner."

"Oh, it was no problem at all," Mrs. Lloyd assured her, "I'll call you tomorrow to see how Cody's doing."

Carey thanked them again and watched them leave before going into Cody's room.

"Hi," she said to Zack and Kurt, "Max and the Lloyds just left."

"Is she okay?" asked Kurt, "She seemed very upset."

Carey furrowed her brow, "yes, Mrs. Lloyd was fine."

"No, the girl. Max," said Kurt, "She ran out of the room…"

"Oh, yeah, she's fine. She just got a little scared. It was hard for her to see him like this."

She gave Cody a soft kiss, and then sat down in the chair next to Zack. Zack was in the chair closest to Cody. He was stroking his cheek with his thumb. He noticed the day before that Cody seemed most at peace when he did this to him. He tuned his parent's voices out and tried to think of something to Cody.

_'I'm here, Cody,'_ he said silently, as if he were praying_, 'I'm right here.'_

"Where's Samantha?" Carey asked in a would-be apathetic voice.

"She's making some phone calls," Kurt replied, "Where are your parents."

"They left. They are staying at the Super 8 Motel down the street for a couple days."

Zack looked at his Dad. He was staring at Cody. So was his mom. For the first time in a long time, Zack felt a strange sensation in his stomach. It was like happiness—only more. He felt happy, comfortable, safe, and hopeful all at the same time. And suddenly, he knew what that weird sensation was. Completeness. He was with his family and nobody else. Ever since his parents divorced, Zack felt that there was something missing. It was never a huge problem for him. He was always finding different ways to have fun so he could ignore that small feeling of longing. _'Maybe that's why I'm always getting in trouble,' _he realized.

Besides keeping busy, his mother and Cody were always there for him when he felt lonely and sad. He had been able to keep himself content. He was able to ignore the nagging feeling of pain, caused by missing his dad.

But now he was with his family—just his family. And despite the devastating circumstances that brought them together, Zack felt complete. It was the first time in years that he felt this way. He almost forgot what it felt like to be truly content.

A second later Samantha walked through the doorway, snatching Zack's moment of happiness away.

"Hello," she said breezily, oblivious to the fact that she ruined Zack's good mood. She went to Kurt's side of the bed and sat down next to him, "Carey, there are two teenagers at the receptionist's desk down the hall from the elevator. I overheard them telling the lady at the desk that they were here to see you, so I offered to come and get you for her."

"Oh," Carey said, surprised, "two teenagers?"

"Yeah," Samantha replied, "A girl and a boy."

Carey stood up, "Okay… I'll go see what this is all about."

She left and Zack stared at Samantha. She was holding his Dad's hand. They were in love. Zack knew that. It did not bother him at first. He realized a long time ago that his parents would not be getting back together. But he did not realize that he _wanted_ them to get back together.

_'They don't love each other anymore,'_ Zack reminded himself, _'They aren't going to get back together_.'

---

Carey walked down the hall and saw Maddie and Chuck standing by the reception desk.

"Maddie!" she said happily as she gave her a hug, "What are you guys doing here?"

"We came to visit Cody," Maddie answered, "Is that okay?"

The three of them walked back to the room, "Of course it's okay," said Carey, "I'm sure he'll be happy to hear from you guys. How's everyone from the hotel?"

"They're all thinking of you," Chuck said.

"You should see Mr. Mosby," Maddie said, "He's so depressed. I know he feels bad for yelling at the boys all those times. And London sends her love."

Carey led them to Cody's room and they walked in.

Zack, Kurt, and Samantha all looked up as Chuck closed the door. When Zack saw Maddie he felt an embarrassed blush creep across his cheeks. He felt stupid for blowing up at her the day before. But at the same time, he was angry that she brought Chuck to see Cody.

_'He's not some circus sideshow freak for them to gawk at,' _Zack thought as anger seared through his body, _'Maddie has no right to bring him here.'_

"Kurt, Samantha, this is Maddie and Chuck," said Carey, "They work at the Tipton with me," she turned to Maddie and Chuck, "Kurt is Zack and Cody's father. Samantha's his girlfriend."

Little did Carey know, Samantha and Kurt recognized each other."

"You guys have been staying at the Tipton," Maddie said, "I've seen you everyday."

"Yeah," said Samantha, with a smile "I buy mints from you every night."

"And we've ran into you a few times too," Kurt said to Chuck, "What do you do at the Tipton?"

"I'm a waiter," said Chuck, "at the restaurant where Carey sings."

"That's so weird," Maddie said, "I had no idea that you were staying there to see Cody."

Zack rolled his eyes, "it's a small hotel after all," he retorted, "If you're just going to talk about yourselves can you take it outside?"

"Zack!" Carey snapped, "What's wrong now?"

"Nothing!" he shouted. He stood up, then stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Maddie watched him go and she was filled with sadness.

"What was that all about?" Samantha asked.

Carey stared at the door that Zack just slammed in disbelief, "I don't know."

Kurt sighed, "Maybe I should go talk to him."

"I can do it," Maddie offered.

Carey nodded, "Yeah, that's a good idea. Maddie talked to him yesterday when he flipped out like this."

Maddie quickly walked out of the room with a sense of déjà vu in her head. This was eerily similar to the scene that Zack caused when she visited the day before. Maddie crossed her fingers and prayed that Zack's reaction to her coming to talk to him would not be the same as last time.

She hurried down the hall, looking for Zack. She found him waiting for the elevator at the end of the hall.

"Zack!" she called.

Zack turned around and shook his head. Just then, the elevator arrived and the door opened. Zack walked inside of it and pushed a button.

Maddie ran so that she could get on the elevator with him before the doors closed.

"Zack, what's wrong?" she asked softly.

He looked at her and frowned, "That's a stupid question."

She gaped at him. Hot tears stung his eyes. Why was he being so hurtful?

"Why won't you talk to me?" she asked thickly.

"Why do you need me to talk to you? If you want to talk to someone so badly you can just talk to Chuck."

"Is _that_ what this is all about?" she asked, "Zack, we've talked about this. You're too young for me."

The doors closed and the elevator began to descend.

"Can you stop thinking about yourself?" he asked irritably, "this isn't about you. Not at all. It's about Cody."

Maddie put her arms around his shoulders, "I know you're worried about Cody, Zack. I am too. But why are you so mad at me?"

Zack glared at the floor, "I'm not mad at you." He muttered.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Two men got in. Maddie and Zack fell silent for the rest of the ride. It was only a matter of seconds until they reached the first floor. Everyone got out, including Maddie and Zack.

"Let's go outside," Maddie suggested, "We can talk in private."

Zack did not argue with her. He followed her out to the door.

It was dark outside. The stars and the moon lit up the velvety black sky. Zack followed Maddie to the courtyard by the parking lot. They sat down on a park bench and for a few minutes, neither of them spoke. They listened to the loud, chirping crickets and stared at the glittery stars.

"Will you tell me why you're mad at me now?" Maddie asked.

"I told you, I'm not mad at you," said Zack.

"Then why are you acting like this? I thought we were friends."

Zack shrugged. For a second he was surprised that Maddie called him her friend. _'Does she really think of me as her friend?_' he wondered. He always thought that she just saw him as some annoying kid who she sometimes babysat for. He looked at the grass, avoiding eye contact with Maddie.

"I guess because-because of… I don't know."

That was a lie. He _did_ know why he was alienating Maddie—but how could he tell her that one of the reasons that he was acting so weird around her was because he was embarrassed that she saw his underwear? Just thinking about it made him realize that he was being petty and immature. There was no way he could say it out loud.

"I'm sorry," he said finally, "I guess I'm just worried about my brother."

"It's okay," Maddie said, "But you can talk to me, you know? You don't have to push me away."

"I know," Zack admitted. "I just want him to be okay. He—I am always so mean to him," his voice cracked, "I never thought anything like this would happen to him."

"Of course you didn't," Maddie whispered.

"What if I never get to tell him that I'm sorry?" a tear slid down his cheek, "I can't lose him. He's my best friend."

"Zack…" she said gently. She wiped the tear away, "It's okay."

"No. Don't try to make me feel better. I don't deserve to feel better. This is my fault."

"No it isn't."

He stood up, "Yes it is! I'm being punished for taking him for granted and now—now he…" he trailed off; it was hard for him to talk. He realized then that he was crying…hard. He collapsed to the ground. He balled his fists in the grass pulling it from the soil, "He's never going to be the same. Even if he does wake up he'll have brain damage."

Maddie sat down beside him and put her hands over his, "It's not your fault Zack."

"Yes it is."

She cupped his face in her hands, "No it's not. Siblings fight with each other. It's natural. Trust me. I have nine of them."

He smiled wearily.

"You're Cody's best friend too," Maddie continued, "He knows that you care about him."

Zack wiped his eyes. "I hope so," he whispered.

She helped him up, "Do you want to go back inside? Your parents are probably wondering what's going on. And Chuck probably feels weird since he doesn't know your mom as well as I do."

Zack was glad it was dark so Maddie couldn't really see the frown that crossed his face when she said, 'Chuck'.

He stood up, "Yeah, we can go in now."

Maddie put her hands on Zack's shoulders and looked him straight in the eye.

"I know you're going through a lot right now, Zack," she said, "But I'm here for you." She kissed his cheek then pulled him into a hug.

Once again he was thankful for the darkness. Maddie could not see the deep pink tinge that covered his cheeks.

Maddie put her arm around him and they walked inside. Even though Zack was worried about Cody, he could not help but feel a little bit happy.

**To Be Continued**

**A/N** Can I just say that I was completely overwhelmed by the reviews? You guys are like my favorite people in the world. As for those of you who guessed what Cody said, most of you were either right or you had part of it right. A prize awaits you…

Please keep reviewing. That is what makes me happy :D

**Up Next: Chapter 19 Time to Go**


	19. Time To Go

_I'm Right Here_ by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer **I do not own _The Suite Life of Zack and Cody_

**Author's Note: **Ugh, this chapter was one of the hardest to write. Most of it is in Cody's point of view so it's his take on what has been happening since the beginning of chapter fourteen. So, yeah, I hope you like it. Let me know what you think. Also, **there are two important notes at the end of the chapter.**

This chapter is dedicated tothose of you who correctly guessed what Cody was trying to say in Chapter Seventeen: **Girl Version of Chandler, Sketchy Ghost, missyfan1234, randomstranger842, clowninthebox, and 0x0xLOVE and WARx0x0**

Honorable mentions go to those of you who got some, but not all of it, right: ARandomKid, Aquila-de-Sakura, Nightlark, Chelsea, Spice of Life, SugarHighNutcase, Iris Early, The Archer, sweet-x-paradise, and ADJL-Freakazoid

And it is also dedicated to **In NYC** because I meant to dedicate my last chapter to him (her? Oh my goodness, I just realized that I don't know if you are a girl or boy! EEK!)

One more thing, I kind of abused the whole "..." thing in this chapter. It might get annoying, but I am not talented enough to think of another way to let y'all know that time is passing by, so please bear with me : P

Okay then…. Enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter Nineteen**

Time to Go

"_After the first death there is no other" _–Shakespeare

Chuck and Maddie stayed at the hospital until visiting hours were over at nine o'clock. Zack went back to stroking Cody's cheek. He did not say anything, but he hoped that Cody could somehow sense his presence.

"I think we're going to head out," Kurt said after a little while, "We'll be back first thing in the morning."

Carey and Zack said goodbye, then returned to their vigil. Now they were sitting on opposite sides of the bed. They were each holding one of Cody's hands. They looked like they were playing tug-of-war.

_'In a way we _are _playing tug-of-war,' _Carey thought silently, _'Zack and I are pulling Cody in one direction and death is pulling him in the other.'_

Neither Zack nor Carey slept in the spare bed that night. They both fell asleep in the chairs they were sitting in, never letting go of Cody.

_Cody's POV_

_I'm tired. I feel weak and scared. Something's wrong. It's like I'm hanging from a cliff. It's getting harder and harder to hang on. I want to let go. But I don't because Zack doesn't want me to let go. So I hang on for him even though I'm scared… it's scary holding on because I don't know where I am. It's scary thinking about letting go because I don't know what will happen to me—and at least I have my brother with me right now. So I hold on even though it's really hard._

_Zack kisses my forehead. I feel safe when I can feel him. But now he's leaving! Zack! Come back, please! I hate being alone. I want Zack… or somebody that I know. I'm so scared and it's even harder to hold onto whatever I'm holding onto when Zack and mom aren't here with me._

_Zack comes back after a little while. Mom is here too. She and Zack talk to each other then Mom leaves and it's just me and Zack again. Zack holds my hand. He's worried about me. I wish he weren't—that makes me feel nervous again. I want Zack to tell me that everything will be fine. _

"I know you're going to be okay,"_ he says. But he doesn't believe himself. I want to believe him, but I don't know if I can._

_Mom comes back and it is just the three of us for awhile…_

_Somebody else is here now. She touches my head. She's very gentle but it still hurts. It hurts so bad. I want her to stop! My dad and Samantha are here now. Everyone is talking about blood and stitches. Don't they know that there is somebody hurting me? For a second I thought that maybe they weren't in the same place as this person, but they have to be because they are talking to her. But nobody does anything to stop her. Oh my God, I can't believe how bad it hurts. It's like she's peeling my face off or something. I just want this to end._

_When she finally finishes hurting my head she leaves. But she says she'll be back. I don't want her to come back._

_Zack, Mom, Dad and Samantha stay with me._

_Some more people are here now. There are two of them. They talk to my family. They say they want to help me. I am just about to trust them… but now they are taking me away! They are taking me away from Zack and everyone else! I want them to stop but they don't. Why isn't anyone stopping them? Zack do you want them to take me away? Doesn't he care that I'm leaving? Probably not—he never has a problem with leaving me alone._

_… I am really scared now. I have no idea what's going on. I think those people are gone. I'm alone again. I feel sick. It's hard to feel anything at all. I'm fading…_

…

…

…

_I think I'm going to let go now… but I can't._

…

_I feel Zack with me now. There are others too, but I don't know who they are and I don't care. It's hard to care now. It's hard to feel…_

_All of the sudden I feel like I'm drowning. I can't breathe! I'm suffocating! I think it's ending now. But… _

_Zack. I don't want to leave him. He wants me to breathe. I open my mouth and air gushes inside. I'm breathing more clearly than I have since I came to this strange place. _

_Zack is holding on to the sides of my head. For some reason it doesn't hurt as badly as it did when that other person did it._

_It's my legs that hurt now—like somebody's pulling them. But it feels sort of good at the same time. It's like a workout almost. _

_I'm moving. Oh my God, somebody put their hands on me and physically moved me. Zack is touching me now. He helps me get back to where I was._

_But I don't want to be here—wherever I am. I want to go home._

_Zack and I are alone now. He stays with me until he falls asleep…_

_Mom is here. She says that she brought Grandma and Grandpa with her. It's not long before they are all arguing. I try to ignore them, but I can't. They are too loud… but not for long. They stop talking._

_Now Dad is here with Samantha. All of the sudden everybody is fighting again. I want them to be quiet but they are so loud. I try to get them to be quiet but it doesn't work. I yell at them to stop, but only Zack is able to hear me. _

_He tries to comfort me by kissing my forehead and playing with my hair. He tells me that everything is okay._

_But it's not okay. I—I think I'm dying. I don't want to die. I can't stop it._

_I try to say good bye to Zack._

"I can't hold on,"_ I tell him, "_Everything hurts too much."

_I don't want to leave him. But I have too, _"I love you, Zack."

_I don't think he understands what I said. He keeps on stroking my hair and he whispers, _'It's alright, it's alright, it's alright…"

_He knows it isn't alright though. It's too loud._

_For a second the screaming and fighting stop. Nobody is fighting anymore, thank God. It's completely silent for a few minutes, and then people start talking again. But the talking doesn't last long. Now they are all quiet. I like the silence, but there is tension in the air._

_Zack is leaving. I don't understand why he doesn't want to be with me. Luckily for me, I'm not alone. Mom, Grandma, and Grandpa leave, but Dad and Samantha stay with me._

_They talk to each other, then Samantha leaves. _

_Dad starts talking to me. He tells me that Zack and everyone else are downstairs, but they will be back soon. Then he groans. He sounds like he's mad at himself. _

_He takes my hand, then he starts talking to me again._

_He tells me that he hasn't been around much because he and Mom don't get along. He says that he loves me and Zack and he wants us to be able to spend more time together. He kisses me and tells me that things will get back together._

_Now he's holding my hand. It is quiet for a long time… Zack is here again. He tells Dad that he brought Max and Tapeworm with him._

_He comes over to me and gently strokes my face._

_"Hey, Cody," he says, "Max and Tapeworm are here to see you."_

_Tapeworm says hi to me. He sounds nervous and awkward._

_Max doesn't say anything. Everybody's talking to her now. She doesn't answer her. Now everybody's frantic. I'm nervous. What's going on?_

_Max tells everyone that she is fine, and then she leaves abruptly. _

_"What was that all about?" Zack asks. He's nervous too._

_Dad tells him that she probably just needs some time to herself. He tells them to give her a minute, then one of them can go check on her. _

_Tapeworm asks Zack if I can really hear them. Zack says he doesn't know._

_I can hear you, Zack._

_Tapeworm leaves to check on Max. Zack continues to stroke my cheek. _

_Mom comes in and tells us that Max and Tapeworm left with Tapeworm's mom. She kisses me. It's just me, Zack, Mom, and Dad._

_I haven't been alone with my family for a long time. I like the feeling it gives me—Zack likes it too._

_I'm not scared anymore. I'm starting to let go, and I'm not afraid of what is going to happen. I'm not scared for Zack anymore. He's happy now. He'll be okay. I wish I didn't have to leave him though. He probably won't understand. I hope that he'll accept it someday. It might take awhile, but eventually he'll be fine. Mom and Dad love him. They will take care of him once I'm gone. They'll be there for him._

_I'm sorry, Zack. I love you, but it's time for me to go now._

_I'm floating. I can still feel my family near me, but they are getting farther and farther away. _

_Samantha is with them now. Mom leaves, but she comes back with more people._

_Zack leaves. No! Zack, come back! Please! I want you to be with me before it's all over! Please come back!_

…

_When he does come back I am very far away. We are fading away from each other. Dad and Samantha leave. Zack holds one of my hands and Mom holds the other. They don't want me to leave, but I have to. It's time for me to go. I try to say goodbye, but I don't think they heard me._

_Mom, I love you. Thank you so much for taking care of me. I know you gave up a lot to raise Zack and me. Please be there for Zack when I'm gone._

_I'm sorry I have to leave you, Zack. I wish we didn't fight so much—I'm sorry for the times I hurt you. I love you._

_Goodbye Zack. _

**To Be Continued…**

**A/N: **I have two things to say:

**1** It might take me awhile to get the next chapter up. I'm doing some serious revisions to the end of my story. It will have the same outcome that I originally intended it to have, but I'm doing some different stuff to it because I was reading over it and the next few chapters are _so boring_, and I'm sure that nobody wants to read a boring story. It won't take me _too _long to get the next chapter up, because I'm only going to be changing a few things. I don't know how long it will take me to fix up the rest of them. It won't be longer than two weeks though, hopefully not even one week.

**2 **If anyone has some spare time on their hands (not too much of course) I think it would be awesome if you checked out my profile where it says "Volunteers Wanted". I've been working on this story, and I need some advice on it. It's not fan-fiction, but if anyone's interesting in like, critiquing it please pm me. And I will love you.

Please review!

**Up Next: Chapter 20: Zack Remembers**


	20. Zack Remembers

_I'm Right Here_ by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer **I do not own _The Suite Life of Zack and Cody_

**Author's Note:** I decided that I am going to re-write the rest of the story. I'm keeping the ending I originally intended it to have, I'm just mixing it up a little bit. I don't know how long it's going to be in the end. I'll try to keep it at thirty chapters like I said, but it might be more or less. We'll see:) On to chapter 20.

**Chapter Twenty **

Zack Remembers

"_To die would be an awfully big adventure" –_Peter Pan

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

Zack's eyes flew open and he sat up. He looked at the heart monitor and saw that the line was flat.

Carey gasped, "Oh my God, no. Please no."

Zack looked down. He was still holding Cody's hand—his cold, dead hand.

_'How is this happening?'_ Zack thought wildly, _'This can't be happening!'_

Before he knew it, a group of doctors ran into the room and rushed to Cody's bed.

Zack and Carey watched in numb disbelief as the doctors crowded around Cody's lifeless body.

Carey was crying silently. Tears ran thickly down her cheeks.

Zack felt detached. The words the doctors said went right through his head. He watched as they re-hooked the respirator and pulled off his hospital gown. They pressed the defibrillator against his chest.

"He's not breathing!"  
"No heartbeat—I can't get a pulse!"

"His body is shutting down!"

Zack's heart sank. Cody was virtually dead. His heart was not beating and he wasn't breathing.

_'I'm an only child,'_ Zack thought _'I'm not a twin anymore. Cody, how could you leave me? I need you!'_

Zack remembered when he and Cody were four years old. _They lived in their old one story, two bedroom flat in Maryland. They had a small terrier named Ruffles. Their mom was a receptionist at a hair salon during the day, and during the night she sang at a local bar. Their dad was a paralegal at the law firm. _

_One day, when their dad was at work ad their mom was sleeping on the couch, Zack and Cody decided to clean the bathroom to surprise them. They were always upset with each other, and the boys wanted to do something to make them happy._

_Cody filled a bucket with bath water, and squirted soap into it. He poured the suddy water across the tiled bathroom floor. The white tiles glistened through the layer of water._

_As Zack walked towards the sink, he slipped on the wet floor. He fell down to his knees. It hurt so bad that he began to cry._

_Cody looked at him then clutched his knees and he cried too._

_Carey heard her sons' cries from the living room. She leapt from the couch and ran into the bathroom. _

_"What happened?" she asked as she carefully got the boys out of the bathroom._

_"I hurt Zack," Cody sobbed, "He needs a band-aid."_

_After inspecting the twins and determining that they were fine, Carey parked them in front of the TV as she mopped up the water._

_Cody gave Zack a hug as they watched _Sesame Street, _"I won't hurt you again," he promised._

_"I won't hurt you either," said Zack as he returned the hug._

The doctors shocked Cody with the defibrillators, trying to get a heartbeat.

Zack watched Cody's body jump. His arms and legs flailed around.

"Again!"

Nothing happened after they shocked Cody for the second time.

Zack felt tears sting his eyes. He couldn't catch his breath. He took deep, staggering breaths, but it didn't help. He felt like he was suffocating—he wished he was.

Zack remembered when his parents got divorced. _He and Cody were eight years old. Kurt moved to Ohio and Carey and the twins moved to Middlesex Massachusetts. They were living in a small two bedroom apartment. They had to give Ruffles away because the new apartment did not allow pets._

_Cody, who was closer to Carey than he was to Kurt, adjusted to the divorce quicker than Zack._

_During the first month Zack cried every night. Cody would sit on the edge of Zack's bed, massaging his shoulders as he cried his eyes out. He seemed to be inconsolable—but he wasn't._

_"It's gonna be okay, Zack," Cody would say, "I promise._

_Cody's gentle words were the only thing that would comfort him._

"We're losing him!" one of the doctors yelled frantically.

"It looks like we already lost him," another one said in a low voice, but Zack still heard him.

"We need to go again!" the first one said, "Clear!"

They zapped him with the defibrillator. Cody's body twitched then lay limp on the bed.

A sob began to build in the back of Zack's throat. He sniffled and swiped at the tears that leaked out of his eyes.

Then he stopped and thought, _'Who cares? Why should I care whether or not people see me crying? Nothing matters anymore.'_

Zack remembered the fight he had with Cody a few nights before the accident._ Cody was mad at him because he got them in trouble with Mr. Mosby. Carey sent them to their bedroom and told them that they couldn't come out until dinner._

_"This is all your fault!" Cody cried, "You know we're not supposed to bungee jump from the chandelier!"_

_Zack smirked and a laugh escaped from his lips._

_"WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING AT ME?"_

_"Sorry," Zack said, not sounding like he meant it, "but it sounded funny! 'We're not supposed to bungee jump from the chandelier' that's hilarious."_

_"It's not funny," said Cody, "I was supposed to meet Kyle and Tapeworm at the park so we could work on our red ant project and now I can't go."_

_"Oh, how tragic," Zack retorted, "Why are you complaining? I'm sure you'll find something more fun to do here then looking for bugs at the park."_

_Cody shook his head and stared out the window, "that's not the point. Kyle and Tapeworm are probably at the park already so I can't tell them that I won't be there. They were counting on me to help them, but because of _you_ I let them down. I'm sure you don't care though. The only thing you care about is _you_."_

As Zack looked at Cody's pale face he wished with all his heart that he had a chance to tell Cody that he had been wrong. He didn't only care about himself. He cared about others—especially Cody. He cared more about Cody than he did anybody else in the whole world.

He buried his face in his hands and he sobbed, "Don't leave me Cody."

"Still no pulse! Clear!"

The used the defibrillator for the fourth time

The flat line on the heart monitor curved up slightly, and then began to go up and down in a constant zigzag.

"I got a heartbeat!"

Carey gasped, "Oh my God, thank you," and collapsed into her chair.

Zack looked at the doctors, trying to read their facial expressions. Could it be? Was Cody alive? If Cody _was_ alive…then what just happened?

He took a step closer to the bed. Three of the doctors already left the room. Dr. Harrison was explaining something to Carey. Zack wanted to listen to him too, but his brain was buzzing with questions and so much confusion that he knew he wouldn't be able to pay attention to him. Dr. Roth and one other doctor, a lady, were still fussing over Cody.

There was enough room for Zack to be standing next to the bed without disrupting the doctors. He put his hand on Cody's forehead and pushed his hair back. The stitches tickled the palm of his hand. The next few minutes passed by very quickly.

Dr. Roth and the other doctor exchanged glances. The lady excused herself and walked out of the room. Dr. Roth and Dr. Harrison were the only two left.

"N-now what?" Zack asked tentatively. He didn't like the looks on their faces.

Dr. Harrison sighed. He looked at Carey, "He's very weak," he said slowly, "He probably won't make it through the night."

**To Be Continued**

**A/N: **Well, I have to say that the amount of reviews from chapter nineteen was very… overwhelming. It made me very, very happy. I don't know how long it will be until I get the next chapter up, because I haven't written it yet.

Also, thanks to Lil Blondie, Suspension, Dumblidore, sweet-x-paradise, and Asher0918 who are critiquing my story, if anyone else wants to help just pm or e-mail me and I will love you forever!

Please Review

**Up Next: Chapter 21 Small Voices **


	21. A Small Voice

_I'm Right Here_ by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer **I do not own _The Suite Life of Zack and Cody_

**Author's Note: **Sorry it took me so long to update.This is the first chapter that I had to write off the top of my head. I am going in a different direction than I originally planned. This chapter is going to be mostly about Carey, but I squeezed in a few brotherly love paragraphs that I cannot stop writing : )

> > > The pacing of this chapter is going to be different from the others. I felt like the story was dragging because I was writing every second that took place over the days. Let me know what you think about this compared to the other chapters :)

> > > Anyone who watches Days of our Lives or General hospital will realize that I am very uncreative when it comes to picking out names for random characters. So, yeah, that's my disclaimer for that :P

**Chapter Twenty-One **

A Small Voice

"_There is no pain so great as the memory of joy in present grief.__" _Aeschylus

Cody did make it through the night. Neither Carey nor Zack fell back to sleep. When the sun began to rise it was not long before Nurse Robin came in to do Cody's morning exercises. Zack stayed and helped, and Carey left the room to find Dr Harrison.

---

Carey slowly walked down the halls. Her head was reeling from the quick conversations she just had with Dr. Harrison.

Earlier that morning he and some other doctors ran some tests on Cody, and just as they feared, he was getting worse. He was still weak from what happened the night before. And they did some tests to see what level of activity his brain was on, and they were discouraged to see that Cody had been completely unresponsive until the very last test. He was not brain dead, but he was as close as he could be.

Tears filled Carey's eyes, _'Why is this happening to my son?'_

She rounded the corner and entered Cody's hospital room. Zack was sitting on the chair next to his bed, reading to him. He made a trip to the hospital library when Cody was taken away for the tests.

"Hey, Mom," he said brightly when he saw her, "I've been reading this science book to Cody. It's about different kinds of medical discoveries from the twentieth century. It's actually kind of interesting. Did you know that penicillin is made from mold? And when people who are allergic to mold—"

"Zack," she interrupted him, "We need to talk about what happened last night."

He ignored her, "Robin told me that a lot of people read to coma patients. This seems like the kind of book that Cody would like, doesn't it?"

"Zack," she said again, "This is really important."

"Can you wait until I get to the end of the chapter?" he asked, "I think Cody really likes this."

Carey sighed, "I'll be back in a few minutes, and then we'll talk."

She closed the door behind her and went down the hall to get a cup of coffee. She thought about Zack. When he woke up that morning his attitude did a complete one eighty. He saw what happened the night before and considered it to be a miracle. He was more optimistic than ever that Cody would make a full recovery.

Carey poured herself some coffee and sat down in one of the sofas in the waiting room for that floor. She stirred in a packet of sugar. She thought about what Dr. Harrison told her. He gave her some pamphlets to look over but she could not bear to read them. She knew what they were about by looking at their titles which included:_ When to Pull the Plug _and _The Hardest Choice_.

She had them tucked in her purse which was slung over her shoulder. She was just about to dig through it so she could throw the pamphlets away when a little girl sat beside her.

"Hi," she said, "I'm Lexie. Do you have a puppy?" **(1)**

Carey laughed, "No I don't. Do you?"

She nodded, her dark blonde pigtails bounced as she did so, "His name's Cupid. I share him with my brother but I might not have to do that anymore."

"Why's that?"

Lexie's big brown eyes clouded over, "His liver's broken and he might have to go to heaven."

Carey's breath caught and her stomach dropped. She hadn't meant to bring anything sad up, "I'm sorry to hear that," she said.

"I wanted to bring Cupid here to see him but Mommy said no. It's not fair. They miss each other."

"I'm sure they do," Carey whispered.

"That's why I have to be here," said Lexie, "Cause of Ricky. That's my brother. Is your brother sick and that's why you're here?"

"No," Carey said, smiling softly even though she was about to bring up Cody, "My son is hurt."

"Lexie, come on, stop bothering this nice lady."

Lexie and Carey looked up. A young woman with messy blonde hair was standing in front of them. She looked tired in her wrinkled clothes. It looked like she hadn't slept in days.

_'I probably don't look much different,'_ Carey realized.

"She's not bothering me," Carey said, "I don't mind the company. You can join us."

The lady sat down and smiled graciously at her, "I've seen you around here these past few days," she told her, "My name is Celeste."

"I'm Carey."

"Her son got hurt," Lexie told her mother.

Celeste looked at Carey, "I'm sorry," she said, "How is he?"

"Not good," Carey admitted, "he was hit by a car. He's in a coma now."

Celeste nodded sadly, "How old is he?"

"Twelve."

"That's how old Ricky is!" said Lexie.

"Yes," agreed her mother, "He's going to be thirteen next month. We're waiting for a liver transplant."

"I hope you get one," Carey said sincerely. She felt a close bond with the woman who sat across from her. She obviously knew what she was going through.

"Thank you," she said, "And I hope everything works out for your son too."

The two of them talked for a little while longer, about the different ordeals that the two of them were going through. After a few minutes Celeste and Lexie left to go downstairs to Ricky's floor and Carey stood up and returned to Cody's room.

---

Zack finished up the chapter on medicinal discoveries and closed the book. His eyes hurt from reading the small print. He did not understand most of what he read to his brother, but what did make sense to him he found to be very interesting. He put the book on the small table beside the bed and held Cody's hands.

"I hope you liked that," he said to him, "There's a whole library of books for me to read to you, but hopefully you'll wake up soon and you can read them on your own. How does that sound?"

He waited for a reply that never came then sighed.

"You really scared me last night, Cody," he said, as tears sprang to his eyes, "It was the first time I realized that I really could lose you." He squeezed his brother's hand, "I'm not going to worry about that anymore though. I know you'll never leave me. You promised you would never hurt me again and you never break promises do you?"

He stared at Cody, looking past the wires and bandages and other equipment. He imagined that his pale cheeks were bright and rosy. He imagined that his hospital gown was a t-shirt and his favorite jeans. And he imagined for his closed eyes to open.

He scooted his chair closer to the bed and kissed Cody's forehead.

"I'm not going to break promises anymore either, Cody," he whispered, "I promise that when you wake up that I'm going to be a better brother."

The door to the room opened and Carey walked in.

"Your dad's still not here," she mused out loud.

"He said he would come sometime before noon," Zack reminded her.

Kurt and Samantha came to the hospital the night before after Cody's near death experience. They stayed for awhile then went back to the hotel.

"I know," she said, sitting down, "Now, I really need to talk to you."

Zack stroked Cody's arm, "About what?"

Carey sighed, wishing he would pay more attention to her. She hated what she was about to tell him. She wanted to protect him from the reality of the situation, but she knew that that was not possible.

"He's not doing well, Zack."

"He's going to be fine," Zack said defiantly, looking into her eyes, "I know he is."

"Zack," she pleaded.

"I don't want to hear it," he said, suddenly standing up, "Cody's going to be fine and I'm not going to let you tell me he's not." He walked to the door than stopped. He spun on his heel to face her.

"Leave," he whispered in a low, commanding voice.

Carey stood up and crossed the rooms. She folded her arms across her chest and stared at him, "What did you just say to me?"

"Get out," he replied, not even wavering, "I'm tired of running away every time you piss me off. I want to be with Cody right now."

Carey's eyes flashed. Her hand tingled. She had never come so close to wanting to slap her own child. Instead she stared down at him with her stone cold eyes.

"If you ever speak to me like that again you can just get out. I did not raise you like this."

Neither of them moved.

"I am going to leave," she said, her voice was still dangerously low, "I'm telling myself that you are not thinking clearly because you are worried about Cody and you haven't been sleeping. Because I know that no son of mine would ever, _ever_ speak to me like that."

She walked out of the room and returned to the waiting room where she collapsed into the sofa and began to cry. She hated this. She hated that Cody was suffering. And she hated what it was doing to her and Zack's relationship.

She reached into her purse to get her cell phone out, but her hands touched the pamphlets first. She stared at them without actually reading them.

She thought about Cody. She hated to see him suffering. She would have done anything to protect him—anything in the world. She thought back to something that happened many years before.

_It was when they lived in Maryland. Zack and Cody were three years old. Even then they had their own distinct personalities, which had changed over the years, but not by a lot. Cody was the independent one. He was able to venture out and do his own thing, something that had not changed. Zack was the trouble maker of the two. He never liked to do anything without his brother. That also had not changed over the years. _

_Carey and Kurt agreed that the boys should not spend every single moment together. They wanted the twins to find their own identities. So every so often, they would split up and each of them would take one of them out for the day._

_On this particular day, Carey took Cody to the park and Kurt took Zack to the swimming pool. After a long day of playing in the sun on the monkey bars and the swings, Carey took Cody home. On the way to the house, she stopped at the gas station. She took Cody inside so she could pay. She was just out the door when she heard the words that managed to stick with her for nine years._

_"EVERYBODY FREEZE!" _

_Carey looked up and saw a man with a gun. He was holding it out in front of the cashier. _

_Everyone in the store did exactly what the gunman told them to do. They froze. Everyone except for Carey that is. She crouched down and through herself in front of Cody._

'I won't let him hurt my son,'_ she thought with determination._

_What happened after that that was very anticlimactic. There just happened to be two police officers in the store who managed to get the situation under control, and arrest the gunman in a matter of minutes. _

_Carey was very shaken up after this, as was everyone else in the store. But one thing was certain. She knew without a doubt that she loved her children more than anything in the world. That day she proved to herself that she would do anything for them—even die._

A small voice snapped Carey out of her daydream.

"Why are you sad Carey?"

She looked down. Lexie was back.

"I'm just worried about my little boy," she told her, "Is your mother up here?"

"Yeah," Lexie replied. She pointed to Celeste who was walking toward them.

"Long time no see," Celeste joked. Then she saw Carey's tear stained cheeks, "Did something happen?"

"I just had a fight with my son," Carey said, wiping her tears away, "My other son."

Celeste nodded in understanding, "These are very stressful times," she paused, "Well, we'll leave you alone. We just came up here because Lexie left her doll. If you need to talk to anyone let me know."

Carey thanked her and watched them go. She headed back to Cody's room. She knew that Zack was probably still mad at her, but it was important that the two of them talked. Zack did not realize it, but he had a very big decision to make.

Carey sighed before walking back into the room. She did not want to upset Zack with the news, but he had to know the truth.

**To Be Continued**

**A/N:** Please review: ) Oooh, I'm writing a story with **xfilesguy123** called _Pain_. Please review that too. And while you're at it, please review **_Surviving High School_** which I'm writing with **Strawberry Finn**. Okay, I think I've asked enough from you :P

**Up next: Chapter 22 Truth**


	22. The Truth

_I'm Right Here_ by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer **I do not own _The Suite Life of Zack and Cody_

**Author's Note: **Yeah, it has been about a month since I've updated. I have had very little time to be working on my stories though. Some of you know why, and that is also why this chapter was extremely hard for me to write, because it hit so close to home. But still, I'm really sorry it took me so long to get this up. I hope that my faithful readers are still with me despite how long I've been taking. Speaking of my faithful readers, the reviews I got for the last chapter were the best ever! I appreciate each and every one of them, and I hope I get some just like them for this chapter :P

**Chapter Twenty-two **

The Truth

"_My scream got lost in a paper cup. Do you think there's a heaven where the screams have gone?"_-Tori Amos

Kurt and Samantha came to the hospital after lunch. They met with Carey in the waiting room on Cody's floor. She was having coffee with Celeste while Lexie played on the floor.

Carey and Celeste stood up when the two of them approached, "This is my ex-husband, Kurt and his girlfriend, Samantha," she told Celeste. She turned to Kurt, "This is Celeste. Her son is staying in the hospital too."

The group made a round of 'hello's', then Celeste excused herself and Lexie and they left.

"We need to talk," Carey said. Her voice was void of any emotion. She knew had to be said, and she was going to get through it without crying. She pulled the two pamphlets out of her purse and handed one to Kurt and one to Samantha.

"Cody's not getting any better," she said brusquely, "I spoke with Dr. Harrison earlier today. He told me—"

"You want to take Cody off life support," Kurt said curtly, interrupting her.

At once, tears sprung to Carey's eyes, "I don't want him to suffer anymore. If—if we do this now, something positive can come out of this tragedy. According to the doctors Cody's hitting a plateau. Even if by some miracle he wakes up, he'll be a living vegetable."

Kurt inhaled a deep breath. He loved Cody and he wanted Cody to know that. He would never be able to tell him that if they pulled the plug now.

"There's no chance that he'll recover?" he asked in a defeated voice.

Carey bit her lip, "They won't give me any answers. I think there's a small chance, and as much as I don't want to give up hope…" she trailed off.

"We're being selfish keeping him alive," Kurt finished for her.

"Yes," Carey said. Tears fell freely down her face now, "It's unfair to Cody. And it's unfair to Zack. He's here everyday. He hasn't been to school or anything. He put his entire life on hold. And so have we. Cody wouldn't want us all to throw our lives away."

Kurt nodded, even though he felt that he didn't know Cody well enough to make that assumption. He looked at Carey and asked, "Have you told Zack?"

"No," she whispered, "I'm going to do that now."

"You're going to tell me what now?"

Carey turned around and saw Zack standing behind her. He was holding two of the books that he got out of the library for Cody.

"Zack," she said, surprised, "Are you finished reading already?"

"No," he answered, "One of the nurses is giving Cody a sponge bath. I just came out here to take a break."

Carey looked at Kurt and Samantha, "We'll be back," she told him, "I have to take Zack somewhere."

They nodded in understanding.

"Come on, Zack," she said, "We're going downstairs."

"No, I'm going back to Cody's room in a few minutes. They said it wouldn't take to long."

"Zackary, you are coming with me whether you like it or not," Carey snapped. She was still upset with him for how he was acting earlier that day. She wanted to be gentle as she broke the news to him, but at the same time, her patience with him was wearing very thin.

"Fine," he muttered, knowing that he was pushing it, "But I'm not staying for too long."

The two of them headed toward the elevator and went down to the floor below the one they were on. Celeste told her how to get to where she would be with Lexie and Ricky.

"I met a few people while we were here," told Zack, "a little girl and her mother. She has a son here too. He's waiting for a liver transplant."

"Mmhmm," Zack said impatiently. He wanted to get back to Cody's room, not listen to his mom talk about a bunch of strangers.

The elevator stopped. Zack followed Carey down a series of long halls.

"If you could describe Cody in one word, what would it be?" Carey asked him.

"I don't know," he replied as he stared at the floor, "He's a lot of things."

"That's right," she said, "He's smart, thoughtful, and compassionate."

_'He's a good brother,'_ Zack thought silently, not wanting to talk to his mom, _'He's a good friend and a good person.'_

"Good," he said out loud, "That's the word I'd use to describe him."

_'That doesn't seem like enough. He's more than good.'_

"He's very giving," Carey added. They turned another corner, "He cares about other people."

"I know that, Mom," Zack said in annoyance, "Can you get to the point?"

For once, Carey ignored his attitude, "Yes. We're here anyway."

Zack looked up. They were in front of a private room. Carey knocked on the door.

A little girl in pigtails with big chocolaty brown eyes opened the door.

"Hi, Carey!" she exclaimed, "Mommy! Ricky! Carey's here!"

There was a loud whirring sound coming from the room. Zack peered around the little girl and saw that there was a boy, just about his age and size, sitting in a chair, attached to a machine. He had light brown hair. He looked really tan compared to his mother and sister, then Zack noticed that it wasn't a tan that set him a part. His skin had a yellowy tint to it. He was really skinny.

"Hello," said the mother, "You must be Zack. I'm Celeste. This is Lexie," she motioned to the boy who was hooked up to the machine, "And this is Ricky."

"Hi," Zack said awkwardly.

Ricky weakly raised is hand, waving to him.

Zack looked at Carey and clenched his teeth. He was furious with her. She totally put him on the spot. He wanted to leave to be with Cody, but he couldn't just _say _that. It would look rude.

He stifled a sigh, and sat down as his mother and Celeste talked.

"I'm sorry about your brother."

Zack looked up at the sound of Ricky's voice.

"Uh, thanks," he said, "He-he's going to get better though."

Ricky nodded uncertainly.

Zack looked at the machine.

"My dialysis," Ricky explained.

"Oh," Zack said, embarrassed that he was caught starring He did not know what Ricky meant by "my dialysis" but he did not feel like asking.

"When is your brother getting better?" Lexie asked.

"I don't know," Zack replied. He wondered how they knew about Cody in the first place. He assumed that their moms must have talked about it or something.

They sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes until Carey broke it.

"Zack, do you want to go back and see Cody now?" she asked.

"Yeah," Zack said, leaping up to his feet. Immediately, he felt self-conscious doing so. He knew that Ricky probably couldn't do that. He turned to Ricky.

"I guess I'll see you later," he said.

"Bye."

Zack and Carey left the room.

"What was that all about?" Zack asked once they were out of the room.

"I just wanted you to meet Ricky," she explained, "I wanted you to see someone who is in need of a new organ."

"Why?" he asked apprehensively, not liking where there conversation was headed.

The two of them entered a small tearoom, "Let's sit down, Zack."

"No."

Carey sat down in one of the chairs in the room. There was another one facing it.

"Come on, Zack."

"I want to go be with Cody."

Again, Carey pulled the pamphlets out of her purse, "Zack, Dr. Harrison gave me these to look over."

Zack looked at the pamphlet, "When to pull the plug," he read out loud. He looked up at Carey, shaking with disbelief, "No," he whispered, "No, you can't do this to him! I won't let you!"

"Honey, calm down," she said, "Let's talk about this."

"I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU!" he screamed.

"We don't have to do it right away. We can discuss it first and wait and see if he makes any major changes, but Zack, we at least have to think about what would be best for Cody. And what would be best for other people. We can donate his organs—"

Zack covered his ears. He knew he was being immature doing this, but he didn't care.

"No," he whispered, "I'm not going to listen to you. He's going to get better."

"Zack,"

"HE'S GOING TO GET BETTER! YOU AREN'T KILLING HIM! YOU AREN'T TAKING HIS ORGANS JUST SO YOU CAN GIVE THEM TO YOUR STUPID NEW FRIEND!"

He threw the pamphlet at her, "I HATE YOU!" he exclaimed, "I HATE YOU FOR DOING THIS!"

Carey stood up. His words stung, but she knew she could not believe them.

"Zack, he can save lives this way," she said, trying to keep the tears in, "If we leave him the way he is he may never wake up."

"Or he could wake up tomorrow and we'll never know that because you had to kill him."

"He's not going to wake up tomorrow, Zack." She put her hands on his shoulders.

"Don't touch me!" he cried, pushing her away. He started crying a little harder. It was hard to breathe

Ignoring him, she stepped closer.

"Get away from me."

"Please don't do this, Zack."

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" he shouted again, "I DON'T WANT TO BE ANYWHERE NEAR YOU!"

He stopped, unable to speak through the wrenching sobs. He tried to push his mom away again, but he had no strength left. He crumpled to the floor and dissolved into a mess of tears.

Carey knelt beside him. She gathered him in her arms. He resisted at first, then leaned against her, sobbing.

"I don't want him to die," he managed to get out.

Carey rested her head on top of his. She rubbed his back and held him close to her, "I know. Neither do I."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she whispered, "Don't worry about it now."

"Please don't take him off life support, Mom," he begged, his voice came out in shaky gasps.

She kissed the top of his head, "We'll talk about it later."

He wiped the tears from his eyes, only to have more form and run down his face.

Carey held Zack there for awhile. She comforted him as he cried. He did not say anything else after that. She wished that there was something that she could do to help him cope. She knew that he was accepting the fact that he was losing Cody.

"Mom?"

Carey shifted slightly and looked at him.

"Is there really no chance that he'll get better?"

"Dr. Harrison told me that there was no way he would allow Cody to be taken off life support unless there was."

Zack sighed, "Can I go see him? Cody I mean, not Dr. Harrison."

"Yeah," Carey said, helping him to his feet, "I want to see him too."

They went back upstairs to Cody's room. Kurt and Samantha were in there, standing on one side of the bed. Zack went to the other side of the bed and picked up Cody's hand.

"Kurt, Samantha, can I talk to you outside for a second?" Carey asked. She wanted to give Zack a minute alone with Cody.

Zack smiled softly at her, silently thanking her. When he was alone he sat down in a chair.

"I'm back, Cody," he kissed his cheek, "I have to ask you something. I know you can't answer me, but that's okay. Um, is this okay? What we're doing to you? Or would it be better if we"—he stopped, tears caught in his voice—"would it be better if we let you go?"

He looked at Cody. He traced his finger across his soft, pale face, wanting to memorize everything about him.

"Are you there Cody?" he asked, desperately, "Please, if you're in there, give me a sign."

He waited for a second and nothing happened. He picked up Cody's hand again, "Cody, I love you. You're my best friend, and if it would be better for you if you—if you died, then I can accept that. It'll be hard, but I'll accept that." He squeezed Cody's hand, "I don't know what to do," he said, his voice rising, "I need your help deciding what to do. Please—we've been able to communicate without words before. And you always know what to do. Can you just give me a hint? Find a way to help me."

He stared at his brother's face.

His eyelids fluttered.

"Oh my God," Zack whispered. He stroked Cody's cheek, "Cody?" he asked, "Cody? Are you awake?"

Nothing happened. Zack's heart sank. He'd let his hopes go up again.

He buried his face in his hands and cried. _Why won't he just wake up?_

He stopped crying immediately. Cody might not have awakened, but his eyes did flutter…

_'...right after I asked him to give me a sign.'_

**To Be Continued…**

**A/N **Please review

**Up next: Chapter Twenty Three **Untitled as of Now


	23. Fights, Tears, and Broken Signs

_I'm Right Here_ by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer **I do not own _The Suite Life of Zack and Cody_

**Author's Note: **Ah, so much to say…. First of all, I just got back from vacation. Well it was sort of a vacation. I totally didn't know I was going away until the day before we left…. Let me start at the beginning. My step-brother had a cancerous tumor removed over a year ago. A few weeks ago he started having the same symptoms again (he passed out for no reason, and this is what happened before his first tumor was found and also he was weak and exhausted all. the. time.), and it looked like he might have another tumor. He didn't, but they had to run all these tests so he was constantly in the hospital. I touched on this in my last a/n. Recently, we found out that he's tumor-free, and apparently he's just under a lot of stress. He was asked to be a part of a survey group for cancer survivors under the age of eighteen, which took place in Washington. So we went to Washington (and New York!). And now I am back!

Something else I want to add, is that this chapter might seem sort of… out of place. Yeeeah uh, some people weren't crazy about me going on vacation all spur of the moment-y. So there was a fight. And I wanted to write about it. Then I decided to kill two birds with one stone, and just play around with it and fit it into this chapter. But it'll work for the story, I promise.

One more thing: in the review, **Chocoluvr **suggested that I bring up organ donation since it was a part of chapter 22. I thought it was a great idea, because it can save lives. Information on organ donation can be found at organdonor dot gov. And if you have a state id or a drivers liscence lots of other forms of identification, you can say that you are an organ donor on your card in case anything happens to you. And that is my PSA for the day :)

I'm not making any sense. But in my defense, I definitely just experienced a nine hour car ride where I was sitting next to a hyperactive eleven year old and in front of a "stressed out" fourteen year old. I think this was the longest A/N I've ever left. I should end it like… now.

**Chapter 23**

Fights, Tears, and Broken Signs

_And sweetest in the gale is heard/ And sore must be the storm/ That could abash the little bird/ That kept so many warm_ –Emily Dickenson

"Mom! Mom!" Zack shouted as he burst into the waiting room.

Carey stood up out of her seat, alarmed, "What's wrong?" she asked, grabbing him by the shoulders as he ran up to her, "Is it Cody?"  
He paused to catch his breath, and Kurt and Samantha gathered around them.  
"What's wrong?" Kurt asked, reiterating Carey's question.

"We can't let Cody die," Zack said, "He—"

"We don't want to _let Cody die_," Carey said pointedly, "But he's not _living_ like this, Zack. Don't you see that?"

"But he _will_!" he cried desperately, "I know he will. I was sitting with him and he gave me a sign. He's still in there."

Kurt and Carey exchanged glances. Carey nodded.

"Zack, why don't you come with me for awhile?"

Zack glared at his parents accusingly, "You just want me out of the way so you can take Cody off life support!"

"You are being so unreasonable, Zackary!" Carey snapped, "We haven't decided what we're going to do yet, but I would _never_ go behind your back and do that. You know that—you're acting childish right now."

Zack's expression changed immediately. His face seemed to sag. His eyes were wet with unshed tears and his lips quivered and turned down, "Promise you won't do anything bad to him?"

Carey sighed and touched Zack's cheek, "I promise."

He nodded then turned to his father. Together, they walked out of the waiting room.

Carey felt a strange sensation as she watched them go. It was a vaguely familiar feeling. A bittersweet one; more sweet than bitter. She remembered how crazy Zack and Cody had been about Kurt before the divorce. Zack was especially close to him. Carey's stomach hurt. She realized that she should not have been so selfish after the divorce. She should have thought about Zack and Cody and their relationship with Kurt before she filed for full custody.

_'I did think about that though,'_ she thought sadly, _'I knew it would turn the boys against him eventually...'_ Carey bit her lip. She had been angry while the divorce process went on—so angry. Kurt hurt him when he left, and she wanted revenge. She wanted to hurt him just as much as he hurt her. So she took his children away from him.

_'He could have fought for them though!'_ argued a small voice in the back of her head, _'He never tried to get custody of the twins! He practically gave them away!'_

She sat down. She wondered if that had been Kurt's way of being the adult in the situation. He didn't succumb to her immature games. If that were the case, she was thankful. Many children of divorce became emotionally scarred. But not Zack or Cody. The divorce was relatively civil, and both boys had been happy growing up—for the most part anyways.

Samantha sat down next to Carey and handed her a cup of coffee, "Thinking about Cody?" she asked.

Carey graciously accepted the coffee and shook her head, "I'm thinking about Zack actually," she said, "Zack and Kurt."

Samantha nodded. She stirred her coffee with her small straw, "Kurt's a great guy," she said, not looking Carey in the eyes.

Carey sat her coffee down on the table. Suddenly she did not want it anymore, "He can be," she paused, "Did he ever talk about us?"

"Who?" Samantha asked, "You and the boys?"

"Yes."

"Sometimes," she answered tentatively, "He uh—got a lot of bills from you. And, well he told me a little bit about the twins. I know he wished he saw more of them.

"Well," Carey said crisply as she stood up, "I'm going to sit with Cody. I'll see you in a little while."

Samantha stood up, "Carey we should talk."

"I don't think so," Carey answered levelly, "You're here for Kurt. You don't need to try to get on my good side. I couldn't care less who she chooses to be with."

"I don't believe you," Samantha said in a soft voice. She tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder.

"I know you don't like me, and I don't blame you. I've never liked any of the girls that my ex-boyfriends dated after me."

"_Husband," _Carey corrected her, "Kurt was my ex-_husband_. That's a bit more complicated than you being jealous of the girls your boyfriends chased after in high school. When was that? Last year?"

Samantha put her hands on her hips, "That's really low, Carey." She said, "I'm not that much younger than you and you know that "

Carey rolled her eyes, "You're what—twenty five?"

"Twenty-four," Samantha muttered.

Carey laughed bitterly, "That's great. You're the combined ages of Zack and Cody. And Kurt says he wants them to be a part of your lives."

"We both do."

"You're in over your head," Carey said, "You can't be a parent to teenagers. You practically still are a teenager!"

"I don't have to listen to this," Samantha said. She walked away.

Carey went to Cody's room. She thought about Samantha as she closed the door. She didn't mean to fight with her. But as she had with Zack, she took her frustrations out on her. She couldn't help but dislike the girl. As Samantha had implied, Carey would not have liked _any_ woman that Kurt dated. But Samantha had been getting to her ever since she arrived. First she was the one who Zack opened up to, and then she stopped the fight between Carey's father and Kurt. Those were two things that Carey felt that she should have been able to do herself.

She sat down next to Cody's bed and ran her fingers through his golden hair, "What would you think if you saw the way I've been acting?" she asked him.

She gave his lifeless hand a squeeze, "I want Zack to be right about you," she whispered, "I want you to get through this. Then everything will be good again."

­­­­­---------

Kurt and Zack walked out of the hospital and sat in the courtyard outside. A blush crept across Zack's cheeks. This was where he and Maddie sat the night before—the place where she kissed him. _'On the cheek,' _he reminded himself.

Being there with his father made him feel sort of weird.

"I want to talk to you," Kurt said, "about Cody."

And just like that, all thoughts of Maddie were flushed from his mind.

"You love Cody, don't you?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah," Zack said, "he _is_ my twin brother."

Kurt looked at him, "Why do you love him?"

"Because he's my brother," Zack said, "and because we have fun together. We help each other." Zack felt a sharp pain in the back of his throat.

_'A lump in my throat,' _Zack thought silently, reciting the familiar phrase, _'Doesn't feel like a 'lump'. It feels more like a hole—a hole that won't close.'_

"He's always there for me," Zack finished, trying hard not to cry.

Kurt gave his shoulder a squeeze, "What else," he pressed.

"I don't know," Zack answered thickly, "It's just—he understands me. He accepts me even when he doesn't agree with me. And he's like one of the only people who cares about me."

Kurt put his arm around him, "A lot of people care about you, Zack."

"How would you know?" Zack spat, "You're never here!"

"I know. I'm so sorry. But I'll do better. I'll be a better father. If you'll let me," he paused, "I wanted to talk to you about Cody. Not argue."

"Cody's a good person," Zack whispered, "Those are the reasons why I love him and miss him."

Kurt nodded, "Right, Zack. You love Cody's soul." He pointed to the hospital, "You don't love what's lying in that in that hospital bed. It's just a body—an empty shell."

"No," Zack said, standing up, "No, Cody's still there! He's going to wake up! He can hear me! He gave me a sign!" Tears were streaming down his cheeks, "He's still alive!"

Kurt placed his hands on Zack's shoulders and looked into his crying eyes, "Cody's not alive, Zack. His body's alive, but that's it."

"No," Zack said again, sobbing. He pushed Kurt away, "Get off of me!" he cried.

He punched his father in the chest, but he did not seem to feel it. He just held onto Zack as he struggled to break free.

Zack clawed blindly at his father than collapsed in a fit of tears. It was like the day before with his mother. He struggled, than eventually gave in.

Kurt scooped him up. Zack lightly wrapped his arms around his shoulders and cried into his neck. He knew he was too old to be carried, but he didn't care.

"He's still alive," he whispered again, this time with less confidence than he ever put into his own words.

Kurt embraced his son, wishing he could protect him from all the hurt he was feeling.

"No," he said gently, "Zack, he's gone."

**To Be Continued…**

**A/N **Yeah, I _really _have more to say… well actually… please review!

**Up next: Chapter Twenty Four **Brothers


	24. Brothers

_I'm Right Here_ by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer **I do not own _The Suite Life of Zack and Cody_

In place of the customary author's note, I give you a conversation between me and my schizophrenic friend, Calhoun.

Calhoun says, "First of all, Rose, _you_ are the schizo—that's why I'm here, remember?" "Must we muddy the water with details?" I ask him.

"We must."

"Well, fortunately we don't have time for that," I remind him, " have to apologize to all of my readers for not updating in forever."

"Even though you promised you would." Calhoun interrupts.

"I had work!"  
Calhoun rolls his eyes, "You sit in an air conditioned box all day and eat ice cream! That's not a job and that's not an excuse."

"I had to baby-sit the twins!" I cry out in defense.

"Once."

" I have summer reading!"

"You've already read both books," he points out.

"Well, I had to go over them…"

Fed up, Call says, "Nobody wants to hear your excuses, Rose. If they clicked the link that brought them here, they want to read the chapter—not a fake conversation."

Good point. **The chapter is below! **

**Chapter 24**

Brothers

"_I'm losing my sight, losing my mind, wish somebody would tell me I'm fine" _–Papa Roach

The bright sun, warm weather, and chirping birds painted a cheerful background in the courtyard of St. Lucia Memorial Hospital. The bright green grass was freshly cut. The flowers in the gardens were watered and thriving, a menagerie of colors and fragrance hid the sharp thorns.

In the center of the courtyard, in the midst of nature's beauty, Kurt Martin held his son in his arms. Zack cried for awhile, whispering "he's not gone," over and over again, until finally he seemed to give up and fell limp in his father's hold.

Kurt carried Zack back to the hospital and his mind seemed to travel in reverse. He remembered carrying his sons to bed when they were very young. He glanced down at Zack in his arms. His thick eyelashes were clumped together with tears. His face was red from crying. Every so often a jagged sob would interrupt his even breathing, a faint memory from his breakdown.

Kurt stepped inside and was engulfed by the cool air conditioning. He took the elevator upstairs to Cody's room. His body was sagging with Zack's weight.

He stirred.

"Where am I?" he mumbled without opening his eyes.

"We're in the elevator," Kurt replied.

Zack opened his eyes and made a motion signaling he wanted to be put down. He was confused for a second. He did not even realize he had fallen asleep.

The elevator stopped and they got out.

"I want to see Cody," Zack said defiantly, "I want to be alone with him."

Kurt rested his hand on Zack's shoulder, "I'm sure that'll be okay."

They turned the corner and began to walk down another hall just in time to see Samantha walking quickly in their direction, with tears in her eyes.

_'No,'_ Zack thought frantically when he saw that she was crying, _'Cody...'_

His heart sped up and he felt light headed all of the sudden.

Kurt caught her by the shoulders, "What happened?" he demanded.

"I've had enough of that bi—," she stopped herself and looked at Zack, "Of your ex-wife," she finished icily.

Kurt sighed, "Sam, what happened?"

Zack leaned against the white wall and closed his eyes. He took a few deep breaths and felt his heartbeat go back to normal.

"I'm going to Cody's room," he said quietly, more to himself than to Samantha and his dad. He continued down the hall, hearing their voices get quieter and quieter as he got closer to Cody's room. Once he got there he opened the door and walked in.

His mom was sitting there, holding Cody's hand. She was wearing the same red shirt she had been wearing since the day before. Her hair was sticking out in some places and her face looked tired and old.

Zack sat down next to her, "Did you have a fight with Samantha?" he asked her.

Carey looked up, "No we just—have you been crying?"

He shrugged, "That's all I ever do anymore."

A thin smile appeared on Carey's lips. It was void of happiness and amusement and everything else that a smile should have.

"Do you want to sit with him?" she asked, "I should take a shower and get cleaned up."

"It's almost time for dinner," Zack said, donning his own emotionless smile, "Shouldn't you have thought about that a little earlier?"

She kissed the top of his head, "You know who you're starting to sound like?"

"Who?"

"You."

Zack thought about that, _'I really haven't been myself lately,' _he realized.

"I'll be back in a little while," Carey said, not waiting for a reply, "Maybe you and I can get some supper after that. Mrs. King dropped off a casserole earlier today. We can heat it up."

Zack took her seat when she left.

"Hi, Cody," he whispered, "it's me."

He picked up Cody's hand and brought it to his cheek. His stomach clenched as he looked at him. Cody had been smart—brilliant even, before the accident. Now he did not even have control over his own body.

"Cody," Zack whispered desperately, "please don't leave me."

He thought about all the times the shared—the good and the bad. He remembered sliding down staircases, playing their music too loud, running through the halls of the Tipton and getting into trouble. He remembered the times that Cody helped him with his homework—sometimes willingly and sometimes not. He remembered beating him at video games and basketball.

Tears stung Zack's eyes.

_'It'll never be like that again,'_ he forced himself to realize,_ 'even if a miracle happens and Cody does wake up it's not going to be the same.'_

He closed his eyes.

"Hey, Cody," he said, his voice shaking, "You wanna to go downstairs?"

"No, Zack," he said, raising his voice to a higher pitch, "You're just going to do something to get us in trouble again."

"Come on," he said coaxingly, in his regular voice, "We'll only get in trouble if we get caught. And that's not going to happen.

He heightened his pitch again, "but it _always _happens."

"But I have this awesome idea. We're going to take all the inner tubes from the pool and bring them outside and use them as a trampoline to—,"

"Stop, stop," he said in the higher voice, "Zack you're crazy…"

He blinked. _'I am crazy.'_

"Oh my God," he buried his face in his hands, dropping Cody's in the process, "First sign of going crazy? Talking to yourself."

_'Maybe it's not so crazy,'_ he reasoned, _'At least I know that I can hear. Everybody's been talking to Cody and we don't know if he can hear us.'_

He picked up Cody's hand again and stroked his palm with his hand, "Can you hear me, Cody?"

More tears sprang to Zack's eyes as he patiently waited for a reply, "I miss you, Code. I miss talking to you. Remember all those nights we stayed up late just talking?"

_'Please answer,'_ he begged silently as the tears began to fall, _'please Cody...'_

He sniffed and wiped the tears away, "I'll be right back, brother," he whispered. He kissed his forehead, "I have to tell you something, I just—I want to get it right."

He squeezed Cody's hand, "I'll be right back," he said again.

As quickly as he could he ran down the halls to the waiting room. Luckily there were not any doctors, nurses, or orderlies there at that time to yell at him to slow down. When he got to the waiting room he hurried passed his dad and Samantha, who looked like they were having a very serious conversation, and went straight to the receptionist's desk.

"Can I borrow a pen and a piece of paper?" he asked, panting.

The receptionist looked up, "Of course, dear," she said, handing him what he asked for, "bring the pen back whenever you're finished with it."

"Thanks," Zack said. He ran back to Cody's room.

He went over to the small table that was in there and sat down in front of it. He stared at the blank piece of paper, and brought the tip of the pen to the top of the gleaming white page. And like magic, the page began to fill. The words spilled out of his pen like sand from an hourglass.

Zack didn't tell many people, but he really liked to write. He wasn't very good at writing papers for school or making up stories, but he could always write down his feelings. Sometimes when his problems got too big for his head, he would grab a pen and solve them on paper. It helped him a lot when his mom and dad got divorced, and then when they started moving all the time. Cody had suggested that Zack start writing in a journal like he did, but Zack said it would be too much like homework.

After about twenty minutes, Zack still had plenty left to write, but unfortunately there was not enough room. He had written all over the page—front and back. He even used the margins.

_'Too bad the page was so small,'_ he thought as he put the cap on the pen.

"Okay," Zack said as he returned to his seat beside Cody, "I'm ready now."

He folded the paper in half and set it on the bed, "There's so much I want to say to you, Cody," he said, "I want you to be awake to hear it, but since you aren't I'll just say it now."

He picked the paper up again, and began to read.

**To Be Continued…**

**A/N **Please review!

**Up next: Chapter Twenty Five **The Letter


	25. The Letter

_I'm Right Here_ by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer **I do not own _The Suite Life of Zack and Cody_

**Author's Note: **Wondrous, astonishing readers, I have a confession to make. I am very worried about this story. Those of you who are reading _Blood in the Bathroom_ probably know that I'm having issues with that story too, but this is different. In the beginning, this story was 30 chapters long. But after chapter twenty I made a very drastic change in direction. It went from being the climax chapter to just the beginning. It'll probably take me _at least _ten more chapters to end this. It's getting _too_ long…. PLEASE let me know if you think it's getting boring. I don't want to drag it out, you know? Anyways, here's chapter 25!

**Chapter 25**

The Letter

"_I'm sorry for everything I've said; and for everything I forgot to say, too. When things get so complicated I stumble, at best, muddle through. I wish that our lives could be simple. I don't want the world—only you. I wish that I could tell you this face to face but it's never the time, never the place. So this letter will have to do. I love you._—Aida

Cody Martin lay motionless in a hospital bed, unaware of his surroundings. Dried blood coated the black stitches that were laced through the skin on his face. Gray crescent shaped bruises framed the bottoms of his eyes. There was a bandage around his head. In one hand, there was a needle from an IV. The other was intertwined with his brother's.

"Okay," Zack whispered, "Here goes."

He unfolded the piece of paper he was holding, and began to read the words.

"Dear Cody," he began, "Ever since we were little—," he stopped. Tears clogged up his throat, making it impossible to talk. He took a few deep breaths and started again.

"Ever since we were little people assumed that you were the weak one and I was the protective one."

Zack looked at Cody's lifeless body, "But they were wrong. Even though I was more outgoing and you were more sensitive, it was you who looked out for me. Like the time I got lost at the zoo in Middlesex. We were on a field trip and everyone had partners. You asked me to be your partner before we got on the bus to the zoo, but I wanted to be partners with Brendan. But once we got to the zoo and I was looking at the tigers, Brendan went off without me and I got lost from the class. I was so scared, walking around in circles crying but then there you were with your partner Kelly. You would never leave me behind.

"What I'm trying to say is that you have always been there for me. I remember when Dad left, you must have missed him as much as I did, but you always helped me feel better."

He stopped reading when he realized that he was crying. "This is so hard, Cody," he whispered tearfully. He looked at the paper in front of him.

"Whenever people ask me about myself, I never know what to say," Zack continued, "I usually say things like 'I'm the athletic one' or 'I'm the loud one'. Whenever I describe myself, it's like I'm subconsciously comparing myself to you. I think that's what Mom means when she says that you're my other half. I never got that until now. But it means that everything that makes me _me _has something to do with you. I don't know who I am without you.

"I need you, Cody. I need you to wake up. Because without you I'm nothing. The idea of living without you scares me to death," he drew in a deep, shuddering breath, "Before the accident we had a fight. Well, we had a lot of fights lately—some really bad ones. This one wasn't as bad as some of them, actually. But I said something really stupid about the only good thing about you was that you could do my homework. I don't remember the exact words. But if I had known—,"

He stopped again. He wasn't crying, but his voice was wavering.

"If I had known you it might have been the last time I ever talked to you I never would have said that. I would have thanked you for being there for me for both our whole lives. I would have told you that I love you. I would have told you the truth about so many things. Like how sometimes I get jealous of you for being so smart and that I hate myself for making fun of you because I know I only do it because I'm insecure.

"You know me better than anyone else—even myself. That's because I trust you. I know that I can tell you anything, and you can do the same to me. When I'm older and I look back on my life, my best memories aren't going to be of dates or dances or basketball games or anything like that. They'll be the all times we stayed up really late and then fell asleep talking to each other. Those were the times I was truly myself. There's things that only you know about me, like the writing thing.

"I really miss you. I've been here, sitting with you for the past three days, but you aren't really here so I miss you. You have so much to live for. You're the smartest kid in our class. You always see the good things about people, especially me. You have forgiven me for so many things, given me so many second chances, and I don't always deserve it.

"Please don't die. Give me a chance to be the brother you deserve. Love, Zack."

Zack folded the letter in half and slipped it under Cody's pillow, "That's what I wanted to tell you, Cody," he said huskily. He picked up his hand and stroked it softly, "and that you're the best brother in the world."

-------

Carey stood alone in the bathroom connected to Cody's bedroom. She stood at her reflection and was surprised to see that she actually looked like herself. She washed her hair and styled it with gel. She smelled like cucumber-melon from the body wash she used in the shower. She was wearing dark indigo dress pants and a lavender blouse. She even went as far as to put on a little makeup.

"Life goes on," she said to the mirror in front of her. While she was in the shower, she thought about many things. She thought about how horribly she treated Samantha and the fact that she was not sorry about it at all. She thought about how neither she nor Zack nor Cody had taken a step off the hospital property since Saturday afternoon. She thought about her job and her friends. She thought about the decision she and Zack might have to make about Cody's fate. All these contemplations jumbled together and spelled out the phrase 'life goes on.'

Carey put her powder compact, lipstick, and mascara into her purse.

_'Tomorrow I am taking Zack to school. I'm going to sing at the Tipton. I am going to pick up my dry-cleaning. Then I am going to visit Cody.'_

It was going to be hard, but she knew she had to get her life back on track. Not for her, but for Zack. Cody was the one who was in a coma. Cody was the one whose life took a dramatic pause. Zack was still very much alive.

She slung her big white purse over her shoulder and walked into Cody's room. Tears filled her eyes when she saw Zack sitting with him, talking in a low voice and holding his hand. She knew that it was going to be hard for him to leave.

"Hey Zack," she said as she went to sit by him.

Zack looked up, "Hey," he answered softly.

"Do you want to come down to the cafeteria for dinner?" she asked.

"I'm not really hungry."

Carey rested her hand on Zack's shoulder, "You need to eat."

He shrugged and looked at Cody. Carey looked at him too.

"I'm going to call your principal tonight," Carey said softly, "You need to get back to school."

Zack was already shaking his head, "I'm not leaving him," he said forcefully.

"We'll see what arrangements your teachers want to make," she said, leaving the subject on an open end.

Zack nodded, not pressing the matter further. He was tired of fighting and he knew that if they kept the conversation going it would end in another blowout.

"I'm taking you home tomorrow," Carey continued. Zack's whipped his head around and he looked at her, "I know you don't want to leave Cody," she said, speaking his mind before he could, "but life goes on."

Zack scowled. His mom was really making his mad, but he was _not_ going to fight with her. Not in front of Cody.

"Mmmm…"

Zack's eyes widened. He looked at his mom then at Cody. Carey scooted to the edge of her chair.

Cody's lips were moving slightly, and a soft mumbling sound came out. His eyes fluttered.

"Oh my God," Carey whispered, "Cody, baby, can you hear me?"

"wuzzhammening,"

Zack pushed Cody's hair back and stroked his cheek.

"Cody?" he asked, "Cody, buddy, it's me. You gotta wake up, Cody."

"nahno"

Tears spilled down Zack's cheeks. But he wasn't sad.

_'He's waking up,'_ he thought wildly, _'he's really waking up!'_

Cody's eyebrows knitted together, "em treeng."

"Cody?" Zack asked again, trying to rouse him, "what are you trying to say?"

"Open your eyes, Honey," Carey said passionately.

And then there was nothing. Cody's frown disappeared. His lips stopped moving and his eyes stopped fluttering. Once again he was lifeless and still.

"No," Zack said desperately, "No, Cody you were waking up. Don't do this."

Carey's heart sank. She rested her hand on Zack's shoulder. She too had thought that Cody was waking up.

Zack buried his face in Cody's chest, "No, Cody," he said in a high pitched, muffled voice, "Come back."

**To Be Continued…**

**A/N** Please review!

**Up next: Chapter Twenty-Six:** Battle of St. Lucia


	26. The Battle of St Lucia

_I'm Right Here_ by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer **I do not own _The Suite Life of Zack and Cody_

**Author's Note: **Okay. This is kind of important. I want everyone who is reading this to know that this website is the ONLY place where I have posted this story. It has been brought to my attention that someone (or someone**s**) has been posting my stories in the official Dylan and Cole Sprose fan club. This is being done without my permission. If the person who has been doing this is reading this right now, I am asking you to stop.  
Oh, and many thanks to In NYC for letting me know about the issue mentioned above.

On to a happier note, here's chapter twenty-six! It's one of the longest chapters so far. And I think I've worked out my issues so expect updates to be more frequent!

Oooh! Shout-out to **XxLeDuhxX** who left me my **600**th review!

**Chapter 26**

The Battle of St. Lucia

"_Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame.__" –_Benjamin Franklin

A trail of leftover tears slid down Zack's face. He was still sitting in the chair by Cody's bed. He cried for over an hour after Cody came so close to waking up, only to slip back into his own world where he could not be touched.

But Zack was not crying anymore. He didn't have the energy to. But still, tears leaked out of his eyes, his lips shook, and every so often he would let out one lonely sob.

Zack stared at his brother with sore, bloodshot eyes. Cody did not look any different than he had earlier that day, but something didn't feel right to Zack. There was something different about the way he seemed.

"Cody," he whispered, picking up his hand, "what's going on?"

Zack swallowed, feeling a sense of dread. For the past few days whenever he was with Cody he felt _something_. He was not sure what that feeling was, but it was there, letting Zack know that hope was not lost. It gave him the confidence to believe that Cody would be okay. And now there was nothing.

Zack squeezed Cody's hand, "Don't do this to me, Code," he said, his voice shaking, "Please don't leave me, Cody."

And he started crying again, so suddenly that he surprised himself. His entire body convulsed as if he were having a seizure, and he could not catch his breath. The back of his throat ached. A lonely cry resonated through the room as tears streamed down his face. He realized just how alone he would be without Cody.

-----

"This is Trevor's favorite," Mrs. King told Carey as she handed her a covered dish of pasta, "Just heat it up with the mushroom sauce. I know it sounds weird, but I've never had any complaints about the taste. And the carbs will be very energizing.

"Thank you," Carey said, forcing herself to smile.

Mrs. King looked at her with sympathetic eyes, "How are Zack and Cody?"

Carey raised her eyebrows. Nearly everyone who came to the hospital asked her about Cody. But not everyone realized that Zack was suffering too.

"Zack's miserable," she confided, "this has been so hard on him. And Cody," she paused, her eyes misting up, "Well, Cody's holding on."

"That's good," Mrs. King said, nodding, "and how are _you_ holding up?"

More tears built up in Carey's eyes, "I-I don't know."

Mrs. King set the dishes down and took Carey's hand, "It's never easy for a mother to see her child in pain."

Carey shook her head and bit her lip, forcing her eyes to lock in her tears.

"It's okay to cry," Mrs. King said softly.

"No," Carey choked out, "I've already cried too much. I have to be strong—for Zack."

"Zack's not here right now."

Carey laughed and a few tears escaped, "You're right," she said, "Zack's with Cody. He's always with Cody," the pitch of her voice rose as she struggled against her battle with the tears, "He just sits there, holding Cody's hand and talking to him--," she stopped, her voice catching, "He-he just sits there, waiting for Cody to wake up. But from what the doctors are saying, he's probably n-never going to. And no matter how many times I try to tell Zack, he refuses to hear any of it."

Mrs. King patted Carey's shoulder, "he's staying positive."

Carey nodded and wiped her eyes, "And that's a good thing—except if Cody—if he," she shook her head again and bit down on her lip. She could not let those words out. IF she kept them to herself maybe they wouldn't come true. But if she said it out loud it would become too real.

Mrs. King looked at her. She had tears in her eyes too, "go on."

Carey took a deep breath and continued in a low voice, all the while thinking, _'if I say it quietly enough it might not come true.'_

"If Cody dies Zack won't be okay. He-he's not okay as it is. But if he loses Cody, a part of him will be lost too. And he's so adamant in believing that everything's going to be fine. If he dies now—," she broke off, "If he dies now I'm scared about what might happen to Zack."

She took a tissue and wiped her eyes, "I can't lose both of them."

For a few minutes, neither of them spoke. They thought about what Carey said.

"Does having their father here help at all?" Mrs. King asked, breaking the silence, "for Zack, I mean."

Carey laughed bitterly, "For Zack maybe. But in the end it will probably do more harm than good. Kurt's not a very dependable person. When things start getting too rough, he bails," she sighed, "he hasn't even seen the boys for years. Who knows how much more time would have passed if this hadn't happened," she rolled her eyes, "and to top off this lovely visit, he brought that ditzy child with him."

"Maybe he just wants to make you jealous," Mrs. King offered.

"I wouldn't put it passed him," Carey said, "The only person Kurt cares about is Kurt. He doesn't care about who he hurts as long as he gets what he wants."

Mrs. King pursed her lips together, "no wonder he makes such a great lawyer."

"He's not _that_ great of a lawyer," Carey said quickly, without skipping a beat, "he's working in some second rate firm that mostly handles small claim cases."

Carey ran her hand through her short hair, trying not to look as guilty as she felt. She knew that what she was saying about Kurt was not entirely true. But she couldn't help it. Somehow talking with Mrs. King was reverting her back to some trash talking teenager.

Mrs. King realized that they were beginning to take things too far, "Well it's good that he's here now," she said neutrally.

Instead of listening to her conscience and taking the mature route of exiting the conversation that Mrs. King had paved, Carey dug in even deeper, "Seriously, the doctors told us that Cody would most likely respond to positive reinforcement. But if he knows that Kurt's here that's more of a reason for him_ not_ to wake up. And don't even get me started on that little witch, Samantha."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Carey regretted them and wished that she could drink them back in. She knew in her heart that neither Kurt nor Samantha were half as bad as she was making them out to be. In fact—although she would barely admit it to herself—having them there had been a big help.

Mrs. King cocked an eyebrow, "I'm sure it's not _that_ bad," she reasoned.

Just as Carey was about to agree with her and apologize for her outburst, she heard an angry voice from behind her.  
"Or _is_ it that bad, Carey?"

Carey's heart sank as she turned around to face her ex-husband.

"I should go," Mrs. King said quickly, "I'll be in touch soon."

Carey said goodbye to Mrs. King then spun to face Kurt. Samantha was standing there with him, looking indignant.  
"You were _eavesdropping,_ Kurt? How very mature of you."

"Of _me_?" he exclaimed, "you were sitting here, insulting me loud enough for anyone to hear, and _I'm_ the immature one?" He shook his head, his eyes blazing, "You haven't changed at all, have you? You're still the same old Carey. Nothing's ever your fault."

Carey's blood ran cold, "Don't go there, Kurt."

"You're _always_ the victim. It was _my_ fault you never made it as a musician because _I_ got you pregnant. It was_ my_ fault that our marriage broke apart. I was never around so you just_ had_ to cheat, right?"

"Kurt--,"

"And now you're saying it's my fault that Cody might not wake up. What's next? Was it my fault that Cody got hit by the car? Cause I hate to break it to you, honey, but _you_ were the one who was late picking him up."

Samantha gently placed her hand on Kurt's shoulder, "Kurt, calm down."

"You know what else is my fault?" he roared, ignoring Samantha, "The fact that you've never found anyone else. The fact that no other man has ever wanted you? My fault!"

Carey's mouth dropped open slightly, "Well you don't see me shacking up with a bunch of underage gold-diggers, do you?"

"Yeah, that's because you make minimum wage and live in a hotel," Samantha retorted.

"Nice," Carey laughed, "You just _had _to defend yourself with such a witty remark."  
Samantha blinked coolly, "That's _hardly_ what I would call defending myself. Kurt knows that I love him—_for who he is._ And he loves me. That's all that matters, Carey. And I'm not going to waste my time defending our relationship to his jealous ex-wife."

"That's fine with me," Carey snapped, "The less I hear of your voice the better."

Kurt was shaking his head, "You know what?" This is exactly why I'm never around! Because you act like this! Nothing in the world is worth putting up with you."

"How can you say that?" Carey asked in a low voice, "We may hate each other, Kurt, but don't even say that about our children."

Kurt massaged his temples, "And now everything's my fault again."  
Samantha slid her hand to Kurt's side, "We don't have to listen to this, Kurt," she said defiantly, "we can just go."

Kurt ignored her again, "You'd like that, wouldn't you Carey?" he taunted, "You would just _love_ for us to leave. Then you can explain to Zack and Cody why Daddy doesn't want them anymore; _again. _You can be the martyr _again._"

"I never—you know I would never say anything like that."

"I _don't_ know you," he said, his voice rising, "Because the woman I married fourteen years ago never would have brainwashed my children to turn against me. That woman doesn't exist anymore"  
"I did _nothing_ to turn the boys against you!" Carey screamed, "You did that! You were _never there!"_

"WELL LOOK WHAT HAPPENS WHENEVER WE SEE EACH OTHER!"

Samantha rested her hand on Kurt's shoulder, "Baby, please," she said in her gentlest voice, "don't say anything you're going to regret."

"Not now, Sam," he said. He glanced in her direction, fully intending to continue his screaming match with Carey, but something in Samantha's expression made him stop.

He sighed, "Come on," he said, slipping his hand into hers, "Let's tell Zack that dinner's here."

Together they walked down the hall, leaving Carey alone.

------

Zack stopped crying almost as suddenly as he started. The blood that ran through his veins was laced with apathy.

_'Cody's gone, Cody's gone, Cody's gone. He's never coming back. He's not waking up.'_

"Cody's gone," he whispered. He said it again, with more force in his voice, "Cody's gone."

He stared at Cody, watching him breathe. Zack stared at him until he didn't see Cody anymore. He saw a body, a shell. Nothing.

Zack dropped the body's hand, stood up, and left the room.

He heard voices as he walked down the deserted hall. It sounded like people were fighting. He paused at the door of the waiting room.

"defending our relationship to his jealous ex-wife."

Zack squirmed uncomfortably. That was Samantha's voice.

"That's fine with me! The less I hear of your voice the better!"

_'And that would be Mom.'_

Zack sighed. He knew that it wouldn't be long before Samantha and his mother's arguments turned ugly. But strangely, he didn't give a damn. He placed his hand on the doorknob, _'They're embarrassing themselves,_' he thought irritably, _'Somebody needs to tell them to shut up!'_

But what he heard next stopped him in his tracks.

"This is exactly why I'm never around!" His father yelled, "Because you act like this! Nothing in the world is worth putting up with you!"

An army of emotions broke through his wall of apathy and bled down the cracks like tears. Zack rested his forehead against the door of the waiting room. He heard the yelling and the screaming, but the words did not register.

_'Nothing in the world is worth putting up with you.'_

Zack tried to catch his breath as he remembered all the Christmases and birthdays that he celebrated without his father there. A card or a phone call would come days later, explaining that he had been too busy. Or he couldn't afford to take off work. Or there had been an emergency.

_'But that wasn't why—it was because I wasn't worth it.'_

Tears ran down Zack's cheeks. He blindly staggered down the hallway, knowing that he had nowhere to go.

Moments later he found himself back at the door to Cody's room. He slid down the back of it. He leaned against the closed door and hugged his knees to his chest, sobbing uncontrollably.

_'Cody's gone. Dad doesn't think I'm worth anything... am I worth anything?'_

Zack's eyes popped open. He thought about the day of Cody's accident. What had he done that day?

_'I bossed Cody around. I made fun of him. I caused trouble at the Tipton with the guests. I cost mom part of her paycheck. I made her late to Cody's meeting.'_

At that thought, Zack no longer cared about what passersby would think when they saw him. He lay down, curled up in a ball, and cried. He cried like he had been all day—with harsh, wrenching sobs coming up from deep within.

"Zack! Zack, buddy, what's wrong?"

Zack opened his eyes and saw his father crouching beside him. He put his hands on Zack's shoulder.

"Get off me," Zack growled.

"What's wrong?" Kurt repeated, "Is Cody…"

"Why do you care?" he spat.

"Zack," Kurt said in a confused, wounded tone, "sit up."

He shot to his feet, "Don't tell me what to do!"

Samantha went to him, "Why are you crying, Zack?"

Zack whirled around and stared at his father, "is _she_ worth it?"

Kurt screwed up his face, thoroughly confused, "What? What are you talking about?"

"How come you never visit us?" he asked wildly.  
Kurt sighed, "It's complicated, Zack."

"I hate you," Zack whispered, too quietly for anyone to hear.

"What?"  
"I HATE YOU!"

Zack breathed in heavily, loving the mixture of shock, pain, and confusion that crossed his father's face.

_'Now he knows how _I_ feel.'_

He spun on his heal and walked into Cody's room, locking the door behind him.  
He went to Cody's bed and brushed the hair off his forehead.

"Cody?" he asked, in a surprisingly calm, normal voice, "Cody, can you hear me?"

Cody lay in bed, silent. He was like a breathing corpse.

Zack sighed and sat down. It was getting late and he hadn't had any dinner. He was getting tired.

"Cody," he whispered, "I want this all to be over."

**To Be Continued…**

**A/N** Please review!

**Up next: Chapter Twenty-Seven:** Into the Night


	27. Into The Night

_I'm Right Here_ by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer **I do not own _The Suite Life of Zack and Cody_

**Author's Note: **Remember me? If not, I can't say I blame you. It's been quite awhile. But I'll spare the sob story and just give you the actual story. Hope my readers are still out there…

Ooooh, I do have something to say to all my fellow writers out there! November is coming up. That is the National Novel Writing Month. I'm doing nanowrimo which is when a bunch of people all over the nation (world now) write a novel in one month. I think it would be really awesome if you guys did it too. I've never done it before, but I think it will be fun. So if you are interested go to Nanowrimo dot org and sign up! And PM me and we can be writing buddies and vent our writing sorrows and share our writing joys and have a wonderful time doing so, lol.

And while we're on the subject of Nanowrimo and writers in general, if anyone is interested in writing outside of the fanfiction world, could you possibly e-mail me? I belong to this writing website and it is on the brink of death and we need new members!

Now, onto the story!

**Chapter 27**

Into the Night

"_I need a little room to breathe/ Cause I'm one step closer to the edge/ And I'm about to break" _-- Linkin Park

The beeps and hisses and whirs of the various medical equipment were drowned out by the sounds of Zack's sobs. He was hunched over Cody's still body, crying in a way that he had never done before. His breathing was hitched. Every sob was tore a sharp pain into his chest, like a sword. Tears gathered like pools in his eyes and slid down his cheeks, a messy embodiment of emotional pain. His cries were loud, gut-wrenching wails. He cried until he could not remember why he was crying.

"Zack?" came a soft voice from above him, "Zack, what's the matter? Tell me what's wrong!"

A pair of hands rested on his shoulder and the back of his neck. He shrugged them away.

"Honey, talk to me."

Zack buried his face in the crook of Cody's arm. His entire body was shaking, as if he were cold. But he wasn't cold. He wasn't hot. He wasn't anything but the mess of tears and sobs that sent his body into convulsions.

Carey stared at him, wondering what could have possibly triggered the outburst. A quick, but thorough glance at Cody and all of his charts let her know that there was no change in his condition.

'_He's stressed,'_ Carey realized, _'He's been through too much in the last few days—more than he's ever been through in his life. He's reached his breaking point.'_

"Come here," she whispered, prying him away from the hospital bed and into her arms.

Zack gave up on his struggle and fell into his mom's embrace. He turned around to face her and wrapped his arms around her neck.

"M-mom," he choked out, "I'm sorry."

"Shh," she whispered, leading him to her chair. She sat down and pulled him into her lap. She ran her hand through his hair and rubbed his back.

"It's okay," she said over and over in her most soothing voice, "Everything's going to be okay."

Carey remembered back when she and Kurt just divorced, what an emotional wreck Zack had been. He would often cry himself to sleep, only to be reawakened by nightmares which would send him into another crying fit. It had been Cody who could instantly console him, but Carey herself had spent many nights holding him like she was now. As much as she hated seeing him so miserable, she loved being able to save him. And now, she realized how much she missed being able to comfort him when he was in pain.

"I'm so sorry," he wailed again.

She looked down at him and pressed her forehead against his, "What are you sorry for?"

He opened his tearful blue eyes which were bloodshot red, "Everything. Dad—I hate him."

Carey frowned, not sure how hating Kurt was aligned to Zack apologizing for "everything."

"He—he was never there," Zack continued. It was still hard to understand him through his tears, "You—he—I was worth it—to you—but not him. And I'm sorry I caused so much trouble all the time. I'm sorry I made you—Cody get hit."

"Oh, Zack," she said, holding him close to her, "You know I don't blame you for that."

"I—do," he sobbed, "I blame me."

Carey kissed the top of his head. She couldn't really understand what it was that Zack was trying to tell her—only that it had something to do with Kurt.

She squeezed Zack's shoulder as he continued to cry, "Let it out, Zack," she told him in her gentlest voice, "let it all out."

He did. For a long time, he cried in his mother's arms. He shed many tears for Cody, but more for himself. For the fact that his father hated him and the only person who truly loved him was clinging to life by an ever thinning thread.

When he ran out of tears, his breath still came out in soft, devastated yelps. Then finally, even that evened out.

Zack was asleep before he stopped crying.

Carey sighed and looked down at him. He was sleeping fitfully in her lap with his head against her shoulder. She knew that he was too heavy for her to move him, and she did not want to wake him up. It had been far too long since the last time he got a decent amount of sleep. She leaned against the back of the chair and closed her eyes.

_'Might as well get comfortable,'_ she thought, _'I might be here for a long time.'_

---------

Kurt stared out, into the blackness of the night. With Samantha at his side, he drove through the crowded Boston streets. Although he kept his eyes glued to the road, all he could see was the disappointment and hurt that dominated Zack's face.

"He must have overheard the fight," he whispered, breaking the silence that hung in the car.

"I'm sorry, Kurt," Samantha said gently, "I shouldn't have fought with Carey."

"It's not your fault," he admitted as he flipped on the turn signal, "none of us did a great job at controlling our tempers."

"Talk to Zack when we go back the hospital tomorrow," Samantha whispered, "Explain to him the situation—you divorced _Carey._ Not the twins."

He sighed and turned onto the overpass that led to Cambridge Falls, "He won't listen to me. I've tried to tell him that I want to be apart of his life."

"You have to _show_ him."

"Show don't tell," Kurt mused. He cast Samantha a sideways glance, "Good to see that your college Creative Writing courses paid off."

She smirked, "Too bad the same can't be said about the Intro to Floral Design class you took you junior year."

"I'm wounded," Kurt joked, "And I'll have you know that I can make round mounds and corsages with the best of them."

"Sure," Samantha laughed, "Keep telling yourself that."

Kurt smiled at her, relieved for the moment of normalcy. There had been a complete lack of flirtatious banter ever since they left for Boston.

"I don't know what I'd do without you, Sam," he said seriously.  
Samantha laid her hand over his on the stick shift, "Let's not find out."

"You know," he said, "My life was so much easier last week. All I had to worry about was making sure that Leena was pulling the right facts from the Stewart verses Todd case of 1976. Now… I have one son in a coma and another one who hates me."

"I guess this is what it's like to be a parent."

"Yeah," Kurt agreed as he pulled into the parking lot of the Tipton, "I guess you're right."

**To Be Continued…**

**A/N** Please review!

**Up next: Chapter Twenty-Eight:** The More I Hear


	28. The More I Hear

_I'm Right Here_ by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer **I do not own _The Suite Life of Zack and Cody_

_I had this ready to post five days ago but the website wouldn't let me._

**Author's Note: **People. Are there still people? Considering I haven't updated in half a year, I almost doubt it. So… where should I start? School is hard. Like anything under an 85 puts me on my school's warped version of "academic probation"

Then there is my serious lack of a computer. The only one I have internet access on appears to be from the early nineties and it takes almost eleven minutes just to get on the internet. The only thing I have the patience to do on it is check my e-mail. Pages take forever to load and about sixty percent of the time the pages cannot be displayed.

But… apparently we're getting a new one, so I will be updating more often. (I mean it this time.) So yeah. If anyone is still interested in this story (God I hope some people still are) it _will_ be finished eventually. I am so so soooooo sorry for the lack of updates, but thanks for all of your patience. And double thanks to those of you who sent PMs and e-mails during my sabbatical. That made me feel good, but also bad because I knew it would be awhile before I could update.

And if there is anyone reading this, remember that I started this waaaaaay back in the middle of season one of the show, and only a few days have gone by in the course of the story.

Shutting up now : )

**Chapter 28**

The More I Hear

"_You'll find better love, strong as it ever was, deep as a river runs, warm as the morning sun, Please remember me." -Tim McGraw_

The lights were turned out when Zack woke up. His neck was bent at a strange angle and his arms were bound to his chest as if he were in some sort of a straitjacket. He blinked a few times and realized that he was in his mother's lap. She had her arms wrapped around his. His head was tucked into the crook of her neck and her lips were pressed to his forehead. His body was telling him to get up. He wasn't very tired and he felt very uncomfortable in the awkward position. But at the same time he felt safe. He felt protected and warm in his mother's embrace. And Cody was only a few feet away in his sanitized hospital bed. Zack could pretend that they were at home; that everything was normal. That Cody was asleep instead of on the brink of death. Zack shuddered--that final thought spit him out of his peaceful reverie. He was still at the hospital. Cody was still dying.

Quietly, he untangled himself from his mother's arms. He moved slowly so that he didn't wake her, and once he was free he went to stand beside the bed. Tears sprang to his eyes without a warning. He'd been crying so much these past few days that it was just happening. He looked at his brother.

Cody's cheeks were pink, as if Zack had just embarrassed him and made him blush. The tube was back down his throat, held in place by a piece of surgical tape. His thin lips were cracked and dry. The corners were colorless. The scrapes on his face were healing slowly, but were still very visible. The big white bandage was still nestled in his blonde hair. His eyes were closed--the lids were pale blue.

"Hey, Code, it's me," Zack whispered. He picked up Cody's hand and gave his lax fingers a squeeze, "I miss you so much, man."

He was answered with silence--a silence that was so loud it hurt his ears.

He dragged his chair over to Cody's bed and sat down, still holding on to his brother's hand.

"Me and Dad--I think we had a fight. Remember how sad I was after the divorce? How sad we both were? Well I think we were better off without him. Just you, me, and Mom. We did pretty well, didn't we?"

He squeezed Cody's hand and continued, "I mean--you and me, we fight a lot, but we get along too. You're my best friend, Cody. How many brothers can say that? Just you and me, buddy."

Zack brought Cody's hand to his cheek. It felt warm and soft against his face--not like the lifeless appendage that it was. Zack gave it a squeeze and kissed the back of his fingers.

"I love you, Cody."

A lonely tear slid down his cheek and he swiped it away, "Mom and Dad love you too," he said huskily, "You're smart, Cody. You're smart and you're funny and nice. You have so much to live for, buddy. You have so many people pulling for you. Just--please wake up."

Zack turned Cody's hand and pressed his forehead into his palm. The tips of Cody's fingers were limply buried in Zack's bangs. Zack held onto his brother, willing him to come out of the coma.

Zack closed his eyes and in his mind he saw his brother. His lips were stretched into his infectious smile and his big, inquisitive blue eyes were bright and shining with an undeniable liveliness.

"Cody," he whispered, "I need you to be okay. I need _you._"

He opened his eyes and looked at his incapacitated brother. His thin body was covered with a thin white blanket. He tried to ignore the massive tubes that garnished his body. They made Zack think of restraints. They were gluing Cody to the hospital bed--gluing him inside the coma.

He wanted to rip them away from Cody's body then shake him by the shoulders and yell his name until he finally woke up.

But he settled for holding onto Cody's hand. He reached forward with his free hand and stroked Cody's soft blonde hair.

"I _need_ you," he repeated desperately, "I need you to wake up and be my brother again." His voice cracked and he forced himself to swallow his tears, "I need you. Please wake up," he whispered.

Gently he lay his head on Cody's shoulder. He kept one hand on Cody's forehead, and the other hand was still holding onto Cody's.

"Please wake up," he begged, "Please wake up, please wake up, please wake up…"

**Cody's POV**

_After saying goodbye to Zack there's… nothing. No pain, no fear. Just a strange, calming, warmth that spreads through my body. I'm safe--so safe. Then I'm flooded with memories--only good ones. I remember little things, like getting a report card full of A's or going down a slide at the park, or getting my allowance. And there are bigger things--I remember going to the movies with my brother, Zack_,_ on a rainy afternoon and seeing some stupid comedy, and I remember spending Saturdays at Trig Club meetings._

_Suddenly I am filled with a sense of anticipation. It's like Christmas morning--right before it's time to open presents. Something wonderful is about to happen--something so wonderful and amazing that I have no words to describe it. It's a relief--like stepping into a warm room after being outside in the freezing snow. It's like going to the bathroom after holding it for a really long time. It's exciting and calming at the same time. Like the moment that fireworks explode into a mass of light and color after watching them blast off into the air. It's happiness and it's safety and it's so, so warm. It's perfect._

No! Nononononono NO! _I'm suffocating. Air is being shoved down my throat and I'm choking on it! Oh my God, it hurts. My throat is burning. The air is like poison, stuffing my esophagus with a blistering agony._

_Then everything goes. The memories, the anticipation, the _warmth_. It's all gone._

_People are screaming. They're touching me. God, please make them leave. My heart feels like it's pierced by lightening. I think Mom and Zack are nearby. Yes, they are--they're here, but they're crying. I'm scared. _

_The pain stops abruptly, and soon I am alone with Mom and Zack. Something feels really wrong. We're waiting for something._

_Mom and Zack stay with me. They watch over me._

_I think a long time passes, but I'm not sure. Something weird is going on. I feel my family, but it seems like they are far away._

_Then, later on, it is just me and Zack. He's telling me about something... medicine maybe? I wonder when Zack learned so much about medicine. _

_I feel like I've been trapped in this strange place for a very long time. I'm starting to forget what it was like before I came here. I remember the Tipton. I remember my mom. But Zack is the only memory that truly stands out. I'll never forget Zack. Not ever._

_Zack kisses my forehead. It's so strange. I don't think that Zack has ever kissed me before I came here. He usually brushes away any attempt of physical affection. He's changed a lot. But he's still Zack._

_I feel him rubbing my arm. He's promising to be a better brother._

You're a great brother, Zack, _I want to say. We have our differences but we're still close. I love him and he loves me--not that we would ever admit that out loud._

_Mom's here now. And Zack--he's angry. He's not mad at me though. He's mad at Mom. He's hurt and he's frustrated. I don't know why. Mom leaves, and then it's just me and my brother. And then it's just me._

_When Zack comes back he's very upset. He kisses me again and speaks softly. He's trying not to cry. I feel him hold my hand._

_He's so close--closer than he has been since I got here. For a second it feels like we were _really_ with each other. Not just connected on these two separate planes. I want to look at him. I try so hard to see him, and I think he knows this._

"Cody?"_ he asks, _"Cody, are you awake?"

_I'm here, Zack! _I'm right here! _I feel his hands on my face._

_But then I slowly start to fade away again. Zack starts to cry. Then he's gone._

_I am alone for so long. Mom finds me and holds my hand. I'm happy she's with me. I hate being by myself. I wish Zack were here too._

_He comes back after awhile and mom goes. I hate this! Why can't we all be together?_

_Zack picks up my hand and I feel him hold it against his face._

_He whispers to me: "_Cody, please don't leave me."

_I don't want to, Zack! I'm so scared! I wish I knew what was happening._

_Zack continues to talk, but I can't really understand what he's saying. I really wish I could talk to him like I did before I got here._

_No! Zack! He's leaving again. Zack, don't go! Please come back!_

_Nothing feels right when Zack isn't here with me. I start to fade again when he isn't here. I am far away when Zack finally comes back._

_He doesn't say anything for awhile, but that's okay. I know he's here. _

_When he starts to talk again he struggles not to cry. I want to tell him that he doesn't have to be embarrassed. I'm not going to make fun of him. But I can't say this, so I just listen._

"Dear Cody,"_ he says, _"Ever since we were little... ever since we were little people assumed that you were the weak one and I was the protective one. But they were wrong. Even though I was more outgoing and you were more sensitive, it was you who looked out for me."

_I don't know about that. There were many times when I felt like Zack protected me. Maybe we both looked out for each other._

"Like the time I got lost at the zoo in Middlesex. We were on a field trip and everyone had partners. You asked me to be your partner before we got on the bus to the zoo, but I wanted to be partners with Brendan. But once we got to the zoo and I was looking at the tigers, Brendan went off without me and I got lost from the class. I was so scared, walking around in circles crying but then there you were with your partner Kelly. You would never leave me behind."

_Of course I wouldn't, Zack. You're my brother. We're always there for each other._

_It's as if he can sense my thoughts. The next thing he says is: _"What I'm trying to say is that you have always been there for me."

_Right. And _you_ have always been there for _me. _It goes both ways. _

"I remember when Dad left, you must have missed him as much as I did, but you always helped me feel better…This is so hard, Cody."

_I want to tell him that it's okay._

"Whenever people ask me about myself, I never know what to say. I usually say things like 'I'm the athletic one' or 'I'm the loud one'. Whenever I describe myself, it's like I'm subconsciously comparing myself to you. I think that's what Mom means when she says that you're my other half. I never got that until now. But it means that everything that makes me _me_ has something to do with you. I don't know who I am without you.

"I need you, Cody. I need you to wake up. Because without you I'm nothing. The idea of living without you scares me to death,"

_Me too. I didn't realize that until now, but I need Zack. I need him more than anything or anyone right now._

"Before the accident we had a fight. Well, we had a lot of fights lately—some really bad ones. This one wasn't as bad as some of them, actually. But I said something really stupid about the only good thing about you was that you could do my homework. I don't remember the exact words. But if I had known... If I had known you it might have been the last time I ever talked to you I never would have said that. I would have thanked you for being there for me for both our whole lives. I would have told you that I love you. I would have told you the truth about so many things. Like how sometimes I get jealous of you for being so smart and that I hate myself for making fun of you because I know I only do it because I'm insecure.

"You know me better than anyone else—even myself. That's because I trust you. I know that I can tell you anything, and you can do the same to me. When I'm older and I look back on my life, my best memories aren't going to be of dates or dances or basketball games or anything like that. They'll be the all times we stayed up really late and then fell asleep talking to each other. Those were the times I was truly myself. There's things that only you know about me, like the writing thing.

_I remember those times. One of us would usually end up in the other's bed and we'd just _talk._ About anything and everything. Sometimes we'd talk about serious things, like our issues with Dad and the things that scare us. But not everything that we discussed during those late nights were deep and meaningful. Sometimes we'd just tell stupid jokes that weren't funny, but still made us laugh until we had tears running down our cheeks. We'd talk about TV shows and the people at our school and a lot of random stuff, like those enormous blue whales. Things that seemed really interesting at the time, but seemed random and pointless the next morning. _

"I really miss you."

_God, Zack, I miss you too. You have no idea how much I wish that _I _could talk to _you _right now. I'm so scared and confused, but I know that you would make everything right. You always do. _

"I've been here, sitting with you for the past three days, but you aren't really here so I miss you. You have so much to live for. You're the smartest kid in our class. You always see the good things about people, especially me. You have forgiven me for so many things, given me so many second chances, and I don't always deserve it.

"Please don't die. Give me a chance to be the brother you deserve. Love, Zack."

_Whoa... Zack's never that open with his feelings. He holds my hand and tells me that I'm the best brother in the world. I wish than anything that I could say "You too."I'm fading away again. I can feel myself drifting. This time, Zack stays where he is, and I'm the one who goes. It's like falling asleep..._

_When I wake up it's different. I'm not in the strange, dark abyss. I'm in a bed. Somebody's holding my hand. I hear people talking. Mom and Zack. I try to speak, but all I do is moan._

_I try to open my eyes but my lids feel like they are glued closed. _

_I manage to open them into slits, but the brightness is harsh and prickly, so I close them just as Mom's face flashes in front of me._

"What's happening?"_ I ask weakly._

_Somebody's hand is on my forehead. I think it is Zack's. He moves it to my cheek then tells me to wake up._

_But I'm already falling back to sleep. I want to stay awake and see my mom and my brother, but I can't. _

"Not now,"_ I say, _"I'm trying..."_ but I can't... sleep is too heavy... _

_It covers me like a blanket, and then everything is gone._

_I'm back. Zack's here. He's crying. I don't have the energy to even _think_ about it. It's different now. I think something's ending._

_Zack isn't crying anymore. _"Cody's gone."

_I'm not gone, Zack, I'm right here...right...here... Maybe I am gone... Zack leaves. _He's_ gone. Where did he go? I hate being by myself._

_When Zack comes back he's _crying_. Not like he was before--he's so upset that I can feel it. I haven't been able to feel anything for awhile, but I can feel the sadness radiating off of Zack. I think he's crying on my shoulder the way he used to when we were really little. But...I'm not sure. I wish he would stop crying because I can feel myself going away again and I _really_ don't want to leave him like this. I want him to be okay. But I'm gone before I can even try to help him._

…

_When I come back it feels like I've been gone for days or even weeks. Little things are missing. Zack is still here. I don't think he ever left. Mom's here too, but she's far away._

_I guess that Zack senses that I've returned because he says hi to me and he picks up my hand. He's close to me… somehow._

"I miss you so much, man."

_I miss you too, Zack._

_It's quiet. Too quiet._

_Zack says something about Dad. He tells me that I'm his best friend. I wish that I could say he's mine too. But I'm so tired._

_He kisses my hand, _"I love you, Cody."

_Love you too._

_He keeps telling me that he needs me. He sounds so sad._

_I feel a warmth land on my shoulder and spread throughout my body._

"Please wake up,"_ Zack says._

_I'm too sleepy, Zack._

_His voice is tired and weary, but he repeats that phrase like a soothing mantra, please wake up, please wake up, please wake up, over and over again._

_Five more minutes, Zack._

_I feel myself fading yet again. _Just five more minutes…

----

Zack had fallen asleep whispering to his brother. The words "please wake up" froze on his lips like an unfinished prayer.

It was still dark when he woke up, so he knew he hadn't slept for long.

"Cody," he whispered, running his fingers through his brother's golden locks, "Why won't you wake up, buddy?" His face crumpled and the tears returned, "Why can't you just wake up?"

From the chair behind Zack, Carey began to stir. She opened her eyes and stretched her arms and legs. She scooted her chair up to Cody's bed and rested her hand on Zack's arm.

"You should be sleeping," she said tiredly. Zack said nothing.

Carey rubbed his back and the two of them watched Cody.

"Zack," she said after a moment of silence, "We…we have to discuss the thing with the life support again."

"Shut up," Zack's words were harsh, but his voice was desperate and broken. It was pleading: _begging_ his mom to either change the subject or to stop talking all together.

"Zack."

"No," he whispered, "You can't take him off life support. I won't let you."

"Zack, I just want to do what's best for him."

"Well what about what's best for me?" he snapped. Then, in a softer, heartbreaking tone he continued, "I need my brother."

Carey raised an eyebrow and looked at him, "Don't you think that's a little selfish?"

He shrugged and looked at Cody's ruined face, "I'm the selfish one," he said simply, "Cody's the giving one. There can't be a selfish one without a giving one," his voice cracked, "There can't be Zack without Cody."

**To Be Continued…**

**A/N** Please review! (If only so that I know whether or not I still have readers lol)

**Up next: Chapter Twenty-Nine:** In My Dreams


	29. In My Dreams

_I'm Right Here_ by Rose Haze

**Disclaimer **I do not own _The Suite Life of Zack and Cody_

**Author's Note: **... Two and a half years later… There's not much I can say to excuse that kind of absence, now is there? (= For those of you who are reading my other story, _Blood in the Bathroom, _I would like to extend my apology for not replying to any of the wonderful reviews that my previous chapter received. I appreciate them all, and they kept me motivated during my little sabbatical but I just feel that many of the reviewers will not find a reply relevant at this time. If any of you guys had any questions regarding the story, don't hesitate to ask. I plan on replying to all future reviews and personal messages. I really hope that some of my old readers return, because I really enjoyed being a part of this fan community. I also hope that this new chapter attracts some new readers. Feel free to drop a PM, I definitely plan on being available for awhile! Now here's the story…

**Chapter 29**

In My Dreams

"_There is bound to be rough waters, and I know I'll take some falls; with the good lord as my captain, I can make it through them all." –_Garth Brooks

By the time Zack stopped crying he did not feel any better. Instead he just felt more exhausted than ever. He stared at Cody, watching his chest rise and fall on its own accord. After a few seconds Cody grimaced. A tiny, quiet moan escaped from his lips before his features evened out. Zack put his hand on Cody's arm.

"It's okay," he murmured gently, "You're fine, Code."

_But it's _not_ okay, _a small voice in his head argued, _he's in pain._

Zack leaned forward and whispered into Cody's ear, "I don't want you to hurt anymore, Cody. But I don't want you to leave me, either."

Carey, who had been hovering in the background stepped forward and rubbed Zack's shoulder, "It's only something to think about right now, Sweetheart," she said soothingly, "Nobody is going to do anything with the organ donation program until the doctors are absolutely certain that there is no chance for Cody to wake up."

Zack ran his fingers through Cody's golden blonde hair. It felt a little oily, as if it had not been washed in a few days. With his other hand he picked up Cody's and held on tight.

"I don't want to be selfish," he whispered, squeezing Cody's hand, "I want to do whatever's best for Cody."

"That's what we all want, Baby," Carey said.

Zack kissed Cody's forehead and gave his hand a final squeeze, "I'm going to lay down now."

He turned to face his mother, "Wake me up if anything happens, okay?"

Carey nodded, "Of course I will."

Zack stood up and Carey took his place in the chair. He made his way over to the cot. After casting one final glance at his brother he lay down and closed his eyes.

_The hospital room faded away and Zack found himself in his bedroom at the Tipton. He glanced up and saw Cody sitting in his bed. _

_"Cody!" he cried, running over to him, "You're awake!"_

_Cody held up an empty jar, "Zack, what happened to my ants?"_

_Zack frowned, and then smiled when he remembered, "Sorry, that seems like it happened years ago! I accidently lost them in this mean old lady's hotel room. But trust me, Cody, it was totally worth it!"_

_Cody slammed the jar on his bedside table and stood up._

_"Don't you ever think of anyone besides yourself?!"Cody exploded, "I needed those ants for a project!"_

_"I'm sorry," Zack said quickly, "Cody, I'm sorry. Please don't be mad at me right now."_

_"Why shouldn't I be?" Cody asked. He began pacing back and forth in front of the bed, "You ruin everything."_

_"I know," Zack said. He stood up and stopped Cody by putting his hands on his shoulders, "I know I ruin everything. And I'm sorry, I'll do better, I promise. But please don't be mad at me right now," Zack swallowed his tears, "I missed you so much."_

_Cody pushed Zack back, "How can you miss me? I've been right here this whole time."_

_Zack shook his head, "Physically maybe," he admitted, "but you've been in a coma for three days. I thought you weren't going to wake up. _

_Cody stared at him with his baby blue eyes and his expression remained impassive, "So?"_

_Zack frowned, "What do you mean 'so?' Cody, I've been really worried."_

_"That doesn't mean you missed me. You can't miss someone who is right in front of you."_

_"Yes you can," Zack argued, "Just because you were there doesn't mean you were _there._ You weren't conscious. It was just your body the whole time."_

_Cody snorted and sat down on the bed, "So it was business as usual."_

_"What?"_

_"How is me being in a coma any different from me being awake?"_

_Zack furrowed his brow, "Is that a trick question?"_

_"Zack," Cody said exasperatedly, "You hardly ever talk to me when I'm awake—unless you need something that is."_

_"That's not true," Zack said, "I know I don't always treat you right, but I don't ignore you. We hang out together every day."_

_"Yeah," Cody said with a laugh, "if by 'hang out' you mean that I go along with whatever it is that you want to do and then we both get in trouble for it."_

_"I'm sorry," Zack whispered, "I'm so, so sorry. Now that you're awake I'm going to change, I swear. I'll be the best brother ever."_

_"It's too late for that," Cody whispered back, "It's just too late."_

_He looked at the ground and closed his eyes, "too late."_

_"No," Zack argued, "It's not too late. I'm going to fix everything."_

_When Cody did not answer Zack grabbed his arm, "I promise," he said._

_Cody still did not say anything. He did not even move. Zack moved closer to him, squeezing his arm, "Cody?"_

_Cody pitched forward, falling against Zack._

_"Cody!" Zack exclaimed as he lowered him to the floor. He held Cody's lolling head in his lap and gently tapped his cheeks, "Cody, wake up!" he said as panic spread throughout his body, "Cody, please open your eyes." Zack cupped Cody's soft cheek in his hand and rubbed his thumb against it. _

_"Come on, Code, don't do this to me again," Zack pleaded, "I just got you back, and I can't lose you again."_

_Cody remained motionless in Zack's arms. Zack stared at his brother's unconscious face. The tan skin faded to a color that was just barely darker than white. And then his cheek split down the side, as if it were being sliced by a sharp and invisible knife. It was quickly sealed together with some stitches._

_"What the hell?" Zack murmured in awe; too shocked to be properly freaked out. Cody's other laceration appeared on his forehead and the skin under his eyes darkened. Zack had his hand underneath Cody's head, supporting it. He felt the longish locks fade away and they were replaced with the stubby hairs that were growing back after being shaved off. His head was warm with Cody's blood. Then the white t-shirt that Cody was wearing darkened with rich red blood, spreading from his chest and blossoming around.  
"Oh God," Zack muttered frantically, pulling Cody closer to him, "Oh my God, what do I do?" He pulled Cody up against his chest and tucked his head against his shoulder. He could feel the warm, sticky blood against his skin as he rocked his unresponsive brother back and forth. He pressed his face against Cody's and began to cry, letting his hot tears wet both of their cheeks. He did not know what to do. There was nothing he could do that could help Cody now.  
"I'm so sorry, Cody" he sobbed, "You were right and I am so, _so _sorry."_

_He kissed Cody's cheek and did not know if the moisture on his lips was from the blood or from the tears. He did not even care._

_He knew Cody was right. It was too late. Zack could not save him. He could not make up for all of the times he was mean to him. _

_He pulled back so that he could look at his brother's face one last time.  
"I'm sorry I was too late, Code," he whispered as he looked down. Cody's stitches had torn and there was crimson blood smeared all over his cheeks. His lips were parted slightly. Zack reached down and pushed back Cody's bangs, revealing the bloody injury on his forehead._

_Zack sighed sadly. He wanted to apologize again and again, but it was no use. Cody would not be able to hear what he had to say. And when he died, Zack would never get a chance to prove himself to him. So he simply leaned down towards Cody's ear and whispered, "I love you, Cody."_

_He kissed Cody's forehead and held him until his room began to fade away and his world went dark. _

Zack blinked. The room around him was dark, but not as black as it had been a few minutes ago. His arms felt empty. He was no longer holding his dying and bleeding brother in his lap. He rubbed his tired eyes and looked around. He was not in the bedroom that he shared with Cody. Instead, he was in the hospital room that had held Cody prisoner for the past few days. It was much darker than it had been when he went to lie down. He surveyed the room. His mom had fallen asleep in the chair beside Cody's bed. Zack pulled up another chair on the other side of Cody's bed and picked up Cody's hand. He felt a soft pressure in Cody's grasp. With wide eyes, Zack let his gaze travel up to Cody's face. His eyes were open. Cody's eyes were open and looking up at Zack.

"Cody," Zack whispered manically, "It's not too late. You're awake!"

Zack's heartbeat began to speed up. He dropped Cody's hand and placed his own hands on either side of Cody's face.

"Say something!" Zack demanded in that same low, quiet voice.

Cody's blank face scrunched up, his lower lip sticking out, almost like a pout.

"Cody?" Zack asked gently.

Tears slid out of Cody's squinting eyes. His lips twitched. He opened his mouth. He looked like he was trying to say something, but nothing came out.

The tears came out faster and Zack softly wiped them away with his thumbs.

"It's okay, buddy," Zack consoled him, "Cody, it's okay. Don't be scared, I'm right here. He brushed Cody's bangs off of his forehead. The stitches there tickled the palm of his hand.

"You were hit by a car, but everything is okay now," Zack paused, "Do you understand?"

Cody did not answer. His forehead creased in confusion.

"Cody?" Zack asked. His voice wavered.

Cody's lips parted again. His eyes darted back and forth before landing on Zack, "…Ack?"

Zack breathed out a sigh of relief that was accompanied by a sound that was half laugh, half sob.

"Oh my God, Cody," he said as tears filled his eyes, "You scared me to death, man."

Cody's face continued to express fear, confusion, and a little pain.

"It's okay," Zack said to him, "it's okay," he looked across the bed, "Mom, wake up," he said in a louder tone.

Carey opened her eyes immediately, "Zack?"

Zack grinned at her, and then glanced down at Cody. She followed his gaze.

"Cody?" She looked up at Zack again, as if to see if it were really true and not just a dream.

Zack nodded, his smile growing wider and wider.

Carey leaned forward and pressed her lips to Cody's forehead. Her hand found his and she held on tighter. She pulled back.

"Do you remember what happened, baby?"

Cody frowned at her and looked back over at Zack with tears pooling in his eyes. Zack took a step closer to the edge so that Cody could see him a little bit better.

"He's a little mixed up, I think," Zack told their mother, "But he's awake and he said my name," he smiled again, "He's okay."

Carey pressed the call button and then returned her focus to Cody who was starting to cry again. "Of course he's going to be okay," she said, "Baby, I know everything is confusing for you right now, but don't worry. I'm here and Zack is here and we both love you. We're so happy that you're awake."

As soon as those words left Cody's mouth two nurses and a doctor that Zack had never met entered the room. The doctor was a woman in her early forties. She had light brown hair that was pulled back in a bun. She moved in front of Zack, blocking him from Cody's view. As soon as he was pushed away Zack heard a strangled moan escape from Cody's lips.

"Cody, I'm Dr. Clark," she said, "Can you tell me why you're here?"

One of the nurses rounded the bed, standing close to where Carey was standing. She put two fingers against the inside of Cody's wrist.

Dr. Clark looked at Carey, "we're going to take him downstairs to do some tests, and see his stats. You can come with us if you want," she glanced at Zack then returned her gaze to Carey, "But we can only have a parent or a legal guardian down there."

"Okay," Carey said. She turned to Zack, "Go to the waiting room, Zack. Call your dad and Grandma and Grandpa. Let them know that Cody woke up and the doctors are running some tests."

Zack nodded. He did not want to leave Cody, but he knew that he should not put up a fight. He walked back up to Cody's bed and rubbed his arm with his hand, "I'll see you again soon, Cody," he told him.  
Cody looked at him desperately. Once again his lips moved but nothing came out.  
"Shhh," Zack murmured. He leaned down and kissed Cody's eyebrow, "You're going with Mom, now, and then when you come back up I'll be here waiting for you."

A tear slid down Cody's face, so Carey picked up his hand.

"Don't cry, Cody," she said gently, even though she was crying too.

As Dr. Clark, his mom, the two nurses, and a pair of orderlies ushered Cody out of the room, Zack collapsed into the chair that was next to his bed. He leaned back and ran his hand through his hair.

"Aw, man," he whispered, closing his eyes. He had not stopped smiling, but the initial excitement over Cody's awakening had begun to settle in, he was starting to find that the three days worth of fear had not completely disappeared. His stomach started to hurt as he replayed the previous ten minutes over in his head. After the elation of seeing Cody awake had begun to wear off, it was harder to ignore the fact that

Cody did not exactly seem like _Cody._ He seemed completely confused, he hadn't been able to answer any questions, and other than the attempt at Zack's name, he did not say a single word. Zack drew in a deep breath. Was Cody's behavior a result of his head injury? Was his brother brain damaged?

_Don't think about that now, _Zack told himself, _all that matters is that he is awake and alive._

He pushed himself up from the chair and walked out of the room. The hospital hallways were really bright compared to Cody's room. He had to squint as he made his way down to the waiting room. The waiting room was completely empty for once. He called his grandparents first, but he had to leave a message because they did not pick up the phone.

Zack bit his lip before dialing his dad's cell phone. He had not said a word to his father since their fight, and he did not want to start talking to him now. What was he even supposed to say? _Hey, Dad, I know that Cody and I are not _worth_ anything to you, but guess what—Cody just woke up! Do you think seeing him might be worth you dragging yourself out of bed to come to the hospital and see him?_

Zack shook his head. He knew that it would probably feel really good to deliver that speech, but this was not about him. No, this was all about Cody.

He punched the numbers into the phone and waited to hear his father's voice. He picked up after the first ring.

"Hello?" Kurt said sleepily.

"It's Zack."

"Zack," Kurt's voice perked up right away, "What's going on, buddy? Did something happen?"

"Cody woke up," he answered simply.

"Cody woke up," Kurt repeated, as if hadn't really heard, "We'll be right there."

He hung up without saying goodbye, which was just fine with Zack. The fewer words they shared the better. He hung up the phone and then he went to sit in one of the hard plastic chairs in the waiting room. It was cold. Zack hugged his thin sweatshirt to himself and leaned back. And then he continued to do the same things that he had been doing for three days.

He thought about Cody. And he waited.

**To Be Continued…**

**A/N** Please review!

**Up next: Chapter Thirty: **Is That All There Is?


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